ex  libris 


ffiatJt-  '•  'f'f 


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JAPANESE  HOMES 

AND 


THEIR  SURROUNDINGS 


JAPANESE  HOMES 

AND 

THEIR  SURROUNDINGS 


BY 

EDWARD  S.  MORSE,  Ph.D.,  A.M. 

DIRECTOR  OF  THE  PEABODY  ACADEMY  OF  SCIENCE; 

FORMERLY  PROFESSOR  OF  ZOOLOGY,  IMPERIAL  UNIVERSITY,  JAPAN  ; MEMBER  OF  THE  NATIONAL  ACADEMY  OF  SCIENCE 
CORRESPONDING  MEMBER  OF  THE  AMERICAN  ORIENTAL  SOCIETY,  ANTHROPOLOGICAL  SOCIETYj 
BERLIN,  JAPAN  SOCIETY,  LONDON,  AND  THE  AMERICAN  INSTITUTE  OF  ARCHITECTS; 

HONORARY  MEMBER  OF  THE  BOSTON  SOCIETY  OF  ARCHITECTS;  ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 

BY  THE  AUTHOR 


NEW  YORK 


HARPER  & BROTPIERS  FRANKLIN  SQUARE 


Copyright , 1885, 

By  Edward  S.  Morse. 

PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


B-0 


WILLIAM  STURGIS  BIGELOW,  M.D, 


IN  MEMORY  OF  THE  DELIGHTFUL  EXPERIENCES  IN  THE 

“P^art  of  $apau” 

THIS  VOLUME  IS  AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED 


BY  THE 


AUTHOR 


PREFACE 


T N an  exceedingly  interesting  article  on  the  early  study  of  the 
Dutch  in  Japan,  by  Professor  K.  Mitsukuri,1  the  author  has 
occasion  to  refer  to  the  uncle  of  one  of  the  three  famous  Jap- 
anese scholars  who  translated  into  Japanese  a Dutch  book  on 
anatomy.  He  says  this  uncle  “Miyada  was  almost  eccentric 
in  his  disposition.  He  held  it  to  be  a solemn  duty  to  learn 
any  art  or  accomplishment  that  might  be  going  out  of  the 
world,  and  then  describe  it  so  fully  that  it  might  be  preserved 
to  posterity.”  The  nephew  was  faithful  to  his  uncle’s  instruc- 
tions, and  “ though  following  medicine  for  his  profession,  he  took 
it  upon  himself  to  learn  ‘ hitoyogiri,’ — a certain  kind  of  music 
which  was  well-nigh  forgotten,  — and  even  went  so  far  as  to 
study  a kind  of  dramatic  acting.” 

Though  not  animated  by  Miyada’s  spirit  when  I set  about 
the  task  of  collecting  the  material  embodied  in  this  work,  I 
feel  now  that  the  labor  has  not  been  altogether  in  vain,  as  it 
may  result  in  preserving  many  details  of  the  Japanese  house,  — 
some  of  them  trivial,  perhaps,  — which  in  a few  decades  of 
years  may  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  obtain.  Whether 
this  has  been  accomplished  or  not,  the  praiseworthy  ambition 
of  the  old  Japanese  scholar  might  well  be  imitated  by  the 
ethnological  student  in  his  investigations,  — since  nothing  can 
be  of  greater  importance  than  the  study  of  those  nations  and 

1 Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan,  vol.  v.  part  i.  p.  207. 


FEE  FACE. 


viii 

peoples  who  are  passing  through  profound  changes  and  readjust- 
ments as  a result  of  their  compulsory  contact  with  the  vigorous, 
selfish,  and  mercantile  nations  of  the  West,  accompanied  on 
their  part  by  a propagandism  in  some  respects  equally  mercenary 
and  selfish. 

Thanks  to  the  activity  of  a number  of  students  of  various 
nationalities  in  the  employ  of  the  Japanese  government,  and 
more  especially  to  the  scholarly  attaches  of  the  English  legation 
in  Japan,  much  information  has  been  obtained  concerning  this 
interesting  people  which  might  otherwise  have  been  lost.  If 
investigators  and  students  would  bear  in  mind  the  precept  of 
Miyada,  and  seize  upon  those  features  in  social  life  — forms  of 
etiquette,  games,  ceremonies,  and  other  manners  and  customs  — 
which  are  the  first  to  change  in  any  contact  with  alien  races,  a 
very  important  work  would  be  accomplished  for  the  future  soci- 
ologist. The  native  Japanese  student  might  render  the  great- 
est service  in  this  work  by  noting  down  from  the  older  per- 
sons, before  it  is  too  late,  the  social  features  and  habits  of  his 
own  people  as  they  were  before  the  late  Revolution.  Profound 
changes  have  already  taken  place  in  Japan,  and  other  changes 
are  still  in  progress.  As  an  indication  of  the  rapidity  of  some 
of  these  changes,  reference  might  be  made  to  an  interesting  me- 
moir, by  Mr.  McClatchie,  on  “The  Feudal  Mansions  of  Yedo;” 
and  though  this  was  written  but  ten  years  after  the  revolution 
of  1868,  he  speaks  of  the  yashiki,  or  fortified  mansions  where 
dwelt  the  feudal  nobles  of  Japan,  as  in  “ many  cases  deserted,, 
ruined,  and  fallen  into  decay;’5  and  he  describes  observances 
and  manners  connected  with  the  yashiki , such  as  “ etiquette  of 
the  gates,”  “ exchange  of  yashiki,”  “ rules  relating  to  fires,”  etc., 
which  were  then  obsolete  at  the  time  of  his  writing,  though  in 
full  force  but  a few  years  before. 

I shall  be  particularly  grateful  for  any  facts  concerning  the 
Japanese  house  beyond  those  recorded  in  this  book,  or  which 


PREFACE. 


ix 


may  be  already  in  my  possession,  as  also  for  the  correction  of 
any  errors  which  may  have  unavoidably  been  made  in  the  text. 
Should  a second  edition  of  this  work  be  called  for,  such  new 
information  and  corrections  will  be  incorporated  therein,  with 
due  acknowledgments. 

I wish  to  express  my  gratitude  to  Dr.  W.  S.  Bigelow,  whose 
delightful  companionship  I enjoyed  during  the  collection  of 
many  of  the  facts  and  sketches  contained  in  this  volume,  and 
whose  hearty  sympathy  and  judicious  advice  were  of  the  great- 
est service  to  me.  To  Professor  and  Mrs.  E.  F.  Fenollosa,  also, 
my  thanks  are  especially  due  for  unnumbered  kindnesses  during 
my  last  visit  to  Japan. 

I would  also  here  return  my  thanks  to  a host  of  Japanese 
friends  who  have  at  various  times,  in  season  and  out  of  season, 
granted  me  the  privilege  of  sketching  their  homes  and  examining 
their  dwellings  from  top  to  bottom  in  quest  of  material  for  this 
volume ; who  furthermore  have  answered  questions,  translated 
terms,  hunted  up  information,  and  in  many  ways  aided  me,  — so 
that  it  may  be  truly  said,  that  had  this  assistance  been  withheld, 
but  little  of  my  special  work  could  have  been  accomplished. 
Any  effort  to  recall  the  names  of  all  these  friends  would  lead 
to  the  unavoidable  omission  of  some ; nevertheless,  I must  spe- 
cially mention  Mr.  H.  Takamine,  Director  of  the  Tokio  Normal 
School ; Dr.  Seiken  Takenaka ; Mr.  Tsunejiro  Miyaoka ; Mr.  S. 
Tejima,  Director  of  the  Tokio  Educational  Museum ; Professors 
Toyama,  Yatabe,  Kikuchi,  Mitsukuri,  Sasaki,  and  Kozima,  and 
Mr.  Ishikawa  and  others,  of  the  University  of  Tokio ; Mr.  Isawa 
and  Mr.  Kodzu,  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  the  distinguished  teacher  and 
author ; Mr.  Kashiwagi,  Mr.  Kohitsu,  and  Mr.  Masuda.  I must 
also  acknowledge  my  indebtedness  to  Mr.  H.  Kato,  Director 
of  the  University  of  Tokio,  to  Mr.  Hattori,  Vice-director,  and  to 
Mr.  Hamao  and  other  officers  of  the  Educational  Department, 
for  many  courtesies,  and  for  special  accommodations  during  my 


X 


PREFACE. 


last  visit  to  Japan.  Nor  must  I omit  to  mention  Mr.  Tachibana, 
Director  of  tlie  nobles’  school ; Mr.  Kikkawa,  Mr.  Tahara,  Mr. 
Kineko,  Mr.  Ariga,  Mr.  Tanada,  Mr.  Nakawara,  Mr.  Yamaguclii, 
Mr.  Negislii  of  Kabutoyama,  and  many  others,  who  supplied 
me  with  various  notes  of  interest.  In  this  country  I have  been 
specially  indebted  to  Mr.  A.  S.  Miliara  and  Mr.  S.  Fukuzawa,  for 
valuable  assistance  during  the  preparation  of  the  text ; and  to 
Mr.  Arakawa,  Mr.  Shiraishi,  Mr.  Slmgio,  and  Mr.  Yamada  of 
New  York,  for  timely  aid. 

To  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Peabody  Academy  of  Science, 
who,  recognizing  the  ethnological  value  of  the  work  I had  in 
hand,  granted  me  a release  from  my  duties  as  Director  until  I 
could  complete  it ; and  to  Professor  John  Robinson,  Treasurer  of 
the  Academy,  and  Mr.  T.  F.  Hunt,  for  friendly  suggestions  and 
helpful  interest,  as  also  to  Mr.  Percival  Lowell  for  numerous 
courtesies,  — my  thanks  are  due.  I must  not  forget  to  record 
here  my  indebtedness  to  Mr.  A.  W.  Stevens,  chief  proof-reader 
of  the  University  Press,  for  his  invaluable  assistance  in  the 
literary  part  of  my  labors,  and  for  liis  faithful  scrutiny  of  the 
proof-sheets.  At  the  same  time  I desire  to  thank  Miss  Mar- 
garette  W.  Brooks  for  much  aid  given  to  me  in  my  work ; my 
daughter,  Miss  Edith  0.  Morse,  for  the  preliminary  tracings  of 
the  drawings  from  my  journals ; Mr.  L.  S.  Ipsen,  who  drew 
the  unique  and  beautiful  design  for  the  cover  of  this  book ; 
Mr.  A.  V.  S.  Anthony  for  judicious  supervision  of  the  process- 
work  in  the  illustrations ; the  University  Press  for  its  excellent 
workmanship  in  the  printing  of  the  book  ; and  the  Publishers 
for  the  generous  manner  in  which  they  have  supported  the 
undertaking.  1 will  only  add,  that  the  excellent  Index  to  be 
found  at  the  end  of  this  book  was  prepared  by  Mr.  Charles 
H.  Stevens. 

EDWARD  S.  MORSE. 

Salem,  Mass.,  U.  S.  A. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


List  op  Illustrations xv 

Introduction xxv 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  HOUSE. 

Appearance  of  City  and  Village.  — General  Description  of 
House.  — House  Construction.  — Frame-work  and  Founda- 
tion. — Bracing.  — Selection  op  Stock.  — Construction  op 
Ceiling.  — Partitions  and  Walls.  — Structure  op  Ivura. — 
Japanese  Carpenters.  — Carpenters’  Tools  and  Appliances  . 1 


CHAPTER  II. 

TYPES  OF  HOUSES. 

City  and  Country  Houses.  — Fishermen’s  Houses.  — Kura.  — A 
Study  op  Roofs.  — Shingled  Roops.  — Tiled  Roofs.  — Stone 
Roofs.  — Thatched  Roofs 45 

CHAPTER  III. 

INTERIORS. 

General  Description.  — Plans.  — Mats.  — Sliding  Screens.  — 
Fusuma.  — Hikite.  — Shoji.  — Tokonoma.  — Chigai-dana.  — 
Tea-rooms.  — Kura.  — Ceilings.  — Walls.  — Ramma.  — Win- 
dows. — Portable  Screens 108 


xii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

INTERIORS  — ( Continued ). 

PAGE 

Kitchen.  — Floors.  — Closets.  — Stairways.  — Public  Bathing.  — 
Bathing  Conveniences.  — Towel-racks.  — Bedding  and  Pil- 
lows. — IIibachi  and  Tabako-bon.  — Candles  and  Candle- 
sticks. — Lamps  and  Lanterns.  — Household  Shrines.  — Birds’ 
Nests  in  Houses.  — Privies 185 


CHAPTER  V. 

ENTRANCES  AND  APPROACHES. 

Vestibule  and  Hall.  — Verandah  and  Balcony.  — Amado.  — To- 

BUKURO.  — ClIODZU-BACHI.  — GATEWAYS.  — FENCES 234 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GARDENS. 

Stone  Tablets.  — Ishi-doro.  — Bridges.  — Summer-houses.  — Ponds. 

— Pathways.  — Dwarf-trees  and  Flower-pots.  — Views  of 
Private  Gardens 273 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS. 

Wells  and  Water-supply.  — Flowers.  — Interior  Adornments. — 
Precautions  against  Fire.  — Houses  of  Foreign  Style.  — 
Absence  of  Monuments  296 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  ANCIENT  HOUSE. 


Allusions  to  the  House  in  Ancient  Japanese  Records 


323 


CONTENTS. 


xiii 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  NEIGHBORING  HOUSE. 

House  of  the  Aino.  — Of  the  Hachijo  Islander.  — Of  the  Loo- 
chooan.  — Of  the  Korean.  — Of  the  Chinese.  — Concluding 
Remarks  . 336 


GLOSSARY 349 

INDEX 357 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


VIEWS  OF  CITY  AND  VILLAGE. 

PAGB 

Fig.  i.  A View  in  Tokio,  showing  Shops  and  Houses.  (Copied  from  a Pho- 
tograph.)   3 

“ 2.  A View  in  Tokio,  showing  Temples  and  Gardens.  (Copied  from  a 

Photograph.) 3 

“ 3.  View  of  Enoshima.  (Copied  from  a Photograph.) 5 

HOUSE  CONSTRUCTION. 

Fig.  4.  Side-framing  14 

“ 5.  Pounding  down  Foundation  Stones 15 

“ 6.  Foundation  Stone  16 

“ 7.  Section  of  Framing 17 

“ 8.  Framing 17 

“ 9.  End-framing  of  large  Building 18 

“ 10.  Roof-frame  of  large  Building 19 

“ 11.  Roof-framing  of  Kura 20 

“ 12.  Framing  of  an  ordinary  Two-storied  House.  (From  a Japanese 

Drawing) 22 

“ 13.  Outside  Braces 23 

“ 14.  Outside  Brace 24 

“ 15.  Ornamental  Brace 25 

“ 16.  Method  of  Cutting  Timber  for  House-finish 25 

“ 17.  Section  of  Post  grooved  for  Partition 26 

“ 18.  Bundle  of  Boards 26 

“ 19.  Section  of  Ceiling 27 

“ 20.  Ceiling-rafters  supported  temporarily 28 

“ 21.  Method  of  Suspending  Ceiling  as  seen  from  above  .......  29 

“ 22.  Ceiling-board  Weighted  with  Stones 30 

“ 23.  Ceiling-board  in  Closet 30 


xvi  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Fig.  24.  Method  op  removing  Boards  prom  Bundle  to  preserve  Uniformity 

of  Grain 31 

“ 25.  Arrangement  of  Square  Tiles  on  Side  of  House 33 

CARPENTERS’  TOOLS,  ETC. 

Pig.  26.  A Japanese  Carpenter’s  Vise 38 

“ 27.  Carpenter’s  Tools  in  Common  Use 39 

“ 28.  A Japanese  Nail-basket 41 

“ 29.  A Carpenter’s  Marking-brush  made  op  Wood 41 

“ 30.  The  Sumi-tsubo 42 

“ 31.  The  Japanese  Plumb-line 42 

“ 32.  Ancient  Carpenter  (Copied  prom  an  Old  Painting) 43 

CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 

Fig  33.  Street  in  Kanda  Ku,  Tokio 51 

“ 34.  Street  in  Kanda  Ku,  Tokio .52 

“ 35.  Block  of  Cheap  Tenements  in  Tokio 53 

“ 36.  Street  View  of  Dwelling  in  Tokio 54 

“ 37.  View  of  Dwelling  from  Garden,  in  Tokio 55 

“ 38.  Dwelling  near  Kudan,  Tokio 56 

“ 39.  Country  Inn  in  Rikuzen 57 

“ 40.  Country  Inn  in  Rikuzen 58 

“ 41.  House  near  Mororan,  Yezo 59 

“ 42.  Bay-window,  Village  of  Odzuka,  Rikuzen 60 

“ 43.  Three-storied  House  in  Rikuciiiu 61 

“ 44.  Street  in  tiie  Suburbs  of  Morioka 61 

•“  45.  Old  Farm-house  in  Kabutoyama 62 

“ • 46.  Entrance  to  Court-yard  of  Old  House  in  Kioto  .......  64 

“ 47-  Old  House  in  Kioto.  Court-yard  View 65 

“ 48.  Old  House  in  Kioto.  Garden  View 66 

“ 49.  House  in  Tokio 68 

“ 50.  View  from  Second  Story  of  Dwelling  in  Imado,  Tokio 70 

“ 51.  Old  Inn  in  Misiiima,  Suruga 71 

“ 52.  Village  Street  in  Nagaike,  Yamasiiiro 72 

“ 53.  Shore  of  Osumi 73 

“ 54.  Farmers’  Houses  in  Mototaru-midsu,  Osumi 73 

55.  Fishermen’s  Huts  in  Hakodate 74 

“ 56  Fishermen’s  Houses  at  Enosiiima 74 

“ 57.  Kura  in  Tokio -75 

58.  Kura,  or  Fire-proof  Buildings  in  Tokio  (From  Sketch  by  S.  Koyama)  75 
■“  59.  Old  House  in  Hakodate 76 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xvii 

SHINGLED  ROOFS,  ETC. 

PAGE 

Fig.  60.  Hisashi 79 

“ 61.  Bunch  op  Shingles,  Nails,  and  Hammer 80 

“ 62.  Shingler’s  Hand 80 

“ 63.  Bamboo  Strips  on  Shingle-roof 81 

“ 64.  Roop  with  Shingles  partly  laid 82 

“ 65.  Ridge  of  Shingle-roof  in  Musashi 83 

“ 66.  Water-conductor 83 

TILED  ROOFS,  ETC. 

Fig.  67.  Ridge  of  Tiled  Roof 85 

“ 68.  Ornamental  Coping  of  Tiles 86 

<l  69.  Ornamental  Coping  of  Tiles 86 

“ 70.  Ornamental  Coping  of  Tiles 86 

“ 71.  Eaves  of  Tiled  Roof 87 

“ 72.  Nagasaki  Tiled  Roof 88 

73.  Hon-gawara,  or  True  Tile  88 

•"  74.  Yedo-gawara,  or  Yedo-tile  Eaves 89 

<l  75.  Fiiench-tile  Eaves 89 

“ 76.  Iwami  Tile  for  Ridge 89 

“ 77.  Stone  Roof 90 

THATCHED  ROOFS,  ETC. 

Fig.  78.  Tiiatcii  and  Thatchers’  Implements 92 

“ 79.  End  of  Roof  in  Eujita,  Iwaki 93 

“ 80.  Tiled  Ridge  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Iwaki 94 

“ 81.  Tiled  Ridge  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Musashi 94 

“ 82.  Bamboo  Ridge  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Musashi 95 

■“  83.  Thatched  Roof,  near  Tokio 96 

“ 84.  Thatched  Roof,  near  Tokio.  (From  Photograph  taken  by  Perci- 

val  Lowell,  Esq) 97 

<c  85.  Ridge  of  Thatched  Roof  at  Kabutoyama,  Musashi 98 

“ 86.  Crest  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Omi 99 

87.  Tile  and  Bamboo  Ridge  of  Thatched  Roof,  Takatsuki,  Setsu  . . 100 

“ 88.  Crest  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Mikawa 101 

89.  Crest  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Kioto 101 

“ 90.  Crest  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Mikawa 102 

“ 91.  Crest  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Kii 102 

92.  Thatched  Roof  in  Yamato 103 


XVUl  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

J?ig.  93.  Crest  op  Thatched  Hoof  in  Totomi 104 

“ 94.  Crest  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Ise 105 

“ 95.  Paved  space  under  Eaves  of  Thatched  Roof 106 

INTERIORS,  PLANS,  MATS,  SLIDING  SCREENS,  ETC. 

Fig.  96.  Guest-room  at  Hachi-ishi 109 

“ 97.  Plan  op  Dwelling-house  in  Tokio 113, 

“ 98.  Plan  op  Dwelling-house  in  Tokio 

“ 99.  Plan  op  a Portion  of  a Daimio’s  Residence 121 

“ 100.  Mat 

“ 101.  Arrangement  of  Mats  in  different-sized  Rooms 123 

“ 102.  Attitude  of  Woman  in  Sitting 124 

“ 103.  Section  through  Verandah  and  Guest-room 126 

“ 104.  Reed-screen 128 

“ 105.  Sliding  Panel 129' 

“ 106.  Ill  KITE 

“ 107.  Ill  KITE  130' 

“ 108.  Hikite  130 

“ 109.  Hikite 131 

“ 110.  Hikite  with  Cord 131 

“ 111.  Straightening  Shoji-frame 132 

“ 112.  Siioji  with  Ornamental  Frame 132 

“ 113.  Portion  of  Toko-bashira 134 

“ 114-117.  Ornamental-headed  Nails 134 

“ 118.  Shelves  contrasted  with  Conventional  Drawing  of  Mist,  or  Clouds  137 

INTERIORS  SHOWING  TOKONOMA  AND  CHIG  AI-D  AN  A. 

Fig.  119.  Guest-room 138 

“ 120.  Guest-room,  with  Recesses  in  Corner 139 

“ 121.  Guest-room,  showing  Circular  Window 140 

“ 122.  Guest-room,  showing  Writing-place 141 

“ 123.  Guest-room,  with  wide  Tokonoma 142' 

“ 124.  Small  Guest-room 143 

“ 125.  Guest-room  of  Dwelling  in  Tokio 144 

“ 126.  Guest-room  in  Kiyomidzu,  Kioto 145 

“ 127.  Guest-room  of  Dwelling  in  Tokio 146 

*•  128.  Guest-room  of  a Country  House 147 

“ 129.  Corner  of  Guest-room 148 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xix 

TEA-ROOMS. 

PAGE 

Fig.  130.  Tea-room  in  Nan-en-ji  Temple,  Kioto 152 

“ 131.  Tea-room  in  Pujimi  Pottery,  Nagoya 153 

“ 132.  Tea-room  in  Miyajima . 151 

“ 133.  Kitchen  for  Tea-utensils 155 

“ 134.  Tea-room  in  Imado,  Tokio 156 

“ 135.  Corner  of  Tea-room  shown  in  Pig.  134 157 

KURA  INTERIORS,  DOORS,  ETC. 

Pig.  136.  Room  in  Second  Story  of  Old  Building  in  Kawagoye,  Musashi  . 159 

“ 137.  Room  in  Kura  fitted  up  as  a Library,  Tokio 160 

“ 138.  Pramework  for  Draping  Room  in  Kura.  (Copied  from  a Japanese 

Work) 161 

“ 139.  Space  between  Dwelling  and  Kura,  roofed  over  and  utilized  as 

a Kitchen  in  Tokio 162 

<c  140.  Doorway  of  an  old  Kura  in  Kioto 163 

141.  Key  to  Kura,  and  Bunch  of  Keys 164 

“ 142.  Padlock  to  Kura 164 

CEILING,  RAMMA,  WINDOWS. 

Pig.  143.  Panelled  Ceiling 166 

“ 144.  Ramma  in  Hakone  Village 169 

“ 145.  Bamboo  Ramma  170 

“ 146.  Porcelain  Ramma  in  Tokio 170 

“ 147.  Ramma  of  Bamboo  and  Perforated  Panel 171 

“ 148.  Carved-wood  Ramma  in  Gojto  Village,  Yamato 173 

“ 149.  Carved-wood  Ramma  in  Town  of  Yatsushiro,  Higo 173 

“ 150.  Ramma,  composed  of  two  Thin  Boards,  in  Nagoya,  Owari  . . . 174 

“ 151.  Shoji  for  Window 175 

“ 152.  Shoji-frame  for  Window 175 

“ 153.  Shoji-frame  for  Window 176 

“ 154.  Window 176 

PORTABLE  SCREENS,  CURTAINS,  ETC. 

Pig.  155.  Biyo-bu,  or  Polding  Screen 178 

“ 156.  Wrought  metallic  mounting  of  Screen  Prame 179 

“ 157.  Screen-box  ISO 

■“  158.  POOT— WEIGHT  FOR  SCREEN  180 


XX  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGB 

Fig.  159.  Furosaki  biyo-bu 181 

“ 160.  Model  of  Tsui-tate  in  Pottery . 181 

“ 161.  Tsui-tate 1821 

“ 162.  Bamboo  Curtains 182 

“ 163.  Bamboo  Curtain 183- 

“ 164.  Curtain-screen  183 

“ 165.  Fringed  Curtain  . 183 

“ 166.  Slashed  Cu&tain  184 

KITCHENS,  STAIRWAYS,  ETC. 

Fig.  167.  Kitchen  in  old  Farmhouse  at  Kabutoyama 186' 

“ 168.  Kitchen  Range 187 

“ 169.  Kitchen  Range  with  Smoke-conductor 189 

“ 170.  Kitchen  in  City  House 190' 

“ 171.  Braziers 191 

“ 172.  Bamboo  Rack  and  Knife-case 192 

“ 173.  Ji-zai 192 

“ 174.  Fireplace  in  Country  House  193 

“ 175.  The  best  Fireplace 194 

“ 176.  An  Adjustable  Device  for  supporting  a Kettle 195 

“ 177.  Kitchen  Closet,  Drawers,  Cupboard,  and  Stairs  combined  . . . 196 

“ 178.  Stair-rail 198 

" 179.  Steps  to  Verandah 199' 

BATHING  CONVENIENCES. 

Fig.  180.  Bath-tub,  with  Side  Oven 203 

“ 181.  Bath-tub,  with  Inside  Flue 203 

“ 182.  Bath-tub  in  Section,  with  Oven  outside  the  Room 204 

“ 183.  Bath-tub,  with  outside  Heating-chamber 204 

“ 184.  Bath-tub,  with  Iron  Base  205 

“ 185.  Lavatory  in  Country  Inn 206 

“ 186.  Lavatory  in  Private  House 207 

“ 187.  Lavatory  copied  from  Japanese  Book 208 

“ 188-192.  Forms  of  Towel-racks 209 

PILLOWS,  HIBACHI,  AND  TABAKO-BON. 

Fig.  193.  Forms  of  Pillow  in  common  use 211 

“ 194.  Showing  position  of  Head  in  resting  on  Pillow 212 

« 195.  Heating  Arrangement  in  Floor 213 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


xx  i 


PAGE 

Fig.  196.  Elbow-best  ...  211 

“ 197.  Common  Hibaciii 215 

“ 198.  Hibaciii 215 

“ 199.  Hibachi 216- 

“ 200.  Hibachi  abkanged  fob  Company  . 217 

“ 201.  Tabako-bon 217 

“ 202.  Tabako-bon 218 

“ 203.  Tabako-bon 218. 

“ 201.  Pan  fob  holding  bubning  Chabcoal 219 

CANDLESTICKS,  LAMPS,  SHRINES,  ETC. 

Fig.  205.  Ibon  Candlestick 2201 

“ 206.  Lamp 221 

“ 207.  Lamp 221 

“ 208.  Lamp  and  Lacquered  Stand.  (Copied  from  a Japanese  Work.)  . 222 

“ 209.  Wall-lamp 223 

“ 210.  Lamp 223 

“ 211.  Pottery  Lamp 223 

“ 212.  Pottery  Lamp 221 

“ 213.  Pottery  Candlestick  . 221 

“ 211.  Fixed  Steeet-lantern 225 

“ 215.  Household  Shrine 226 

“ 216.  Swallows’  Nests  in  Private  House  227 

PEIVIES. 

Fig.  217.  Interior  op  Privy 228 

“ 218.  Privy  of  Inn  in  Hachi-ishi  Village,  Nikko 229 

“ 219.  Privy  connected  with  a Merchant’s  House  in  Asakusa  ....  230 

“ 220.  Interior  of  a Privy  in  Asakusa 231 

ENTRANCE  AND  HALL. 

Fig.  221.  Main  Entrance  to  House 236 

“ 222.  Plan  of  Vestibule  and  Hall 237 

“ 223.  Shoe-closet 23S 

“ 224.  Lantern-shelf  in  Hall 210 

“ 225.  Grated  Entrance  with  Sliding  Door 241 

VERANDAH  AND  BALCONY. 

Fig.  226.  Verandah  Floor 24S 

“ 227.  Verandah  of  an  old  Kioto  House 241 


xxii  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

JPAGB 

Fig.  228.  Balcony  Rail 245 

“ 229.  Balcony  Rail  and  Perforated  Panels 245 

“ 230.  Balcony  Rail 246 

“ 231.  Balcony  Rail 246 

“ 232.  Balcony  Rail 247 

AMADO. 

Fig.  233.  Rain-door  Lock  unbolted 249 

“ 234.  Rain-door  Lock  bolted 249 

e‘  235.  Knob  for  Rain-door 250 

“ 236.  Corner-roller  for  Rain-door 251 

■“  237.  Verandah  showing  Swinging  Closet  for  Rain-doors  and  also 

Chodzu-bachi  252 

CHODZU-BACHI. 

Pig.  238.  Chodzu-bachi 253 

“ 239.  Chodzu-bachi 254 

“ 240.  Chodzu-bachi 255 

“ 241.  Chodzu-bachi  and  I1isashi-yen  ...» 256 

GATEWAYS. 

Pig.  242.  Gateway  in  Yashiki  Building  . 257 

“ 243.  Gateway  of  City  House  from  within 258 

“ 244.  Gate-rattle 259 

“ 245.  Bolt  for  little  Sliding  Door  in  Gateway 259 

“ 246.  Gateway  to  City  Residence 260 

“ 247-  Gateway  to  City  Residence  ...  261 

“ 248.  Gateway  near  Tokio 262 

“ 249.  Gateway ‘263 

“ 250.  Rustic  Gateway 264 

41  251.  Rustic  Gateway 265 

“ 252.  Rustic  Garden  Gate 266 

“ 253.  Garden  Gateway  267 

FENCES. 

Pig.  254.  Ordinary  Wooden  Pence 268 

“ 255.  Stake  Fence 268 

“ 256.  Bamboo  Pence 269 

44  257.  Pence  in  Hakone  Village 270 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS.  xxiii 

PAGE 

Fig.  258.  .Rustic  Garden-fence 270 

“ 259.  Sode-gaki 271 

“ 260.  Sode-gaki 271 

“ 261.  Sode-gaki 272 

“ 262.  Barred  Opening  in  Fence 272 

STONE  LANTERNS,  ETC. 

Fig.  263.  Garden  Tablet 276 

“ 264.  Ishi-doro  in  Tokio 277 

“ 265.  Ishi-doro  in  Miyajima 277 

“ 266.  Ishi-doro  in  Shirako,  Musashi 277 

4‘  267.  Ishi-doro  in  Utsunomiya 278 

GARDEN  BRIDGES. 

Fig.  268.  Stone  Foot-bridge 278 

“ 269.  Stone  Foot-bridge 279 

“ 270.  Garden  Brook  and  Foot-bridge  279 

SUMMER-HOUSES,  WINDOWS,  AND  PATHS. 

Fig.  271.  Summer-house  in  Private  Garden,  Tokio 281 

“ 272.  Summer-house  in  Imperial  Garden,  Tokio 282 

“ 273.  Rustic  Opening  in  Summer-house,  Kobe 283 

“ 274.  Rustic  Opening  in  Summer-house,  Okazaki 283 

“ 275.  Various  Forms  of  Garden  Paths 285 

FLOWER-POTS,  DWARF-TREES,  ETC. 

Fig.  276.  Wooden  Trough  for  Plants 286 

“ 277.  Plant-pot  of  old  Plank 287 

“ 278.  Dwarf  Plum 288 

“ 279.  Dwarf  Pine 288 

“ 280  Curiously  trained  Pine-tree 288 

“ 281.  Dwarfed  Pine 2S9 

“ 282.  Shrubs  wrapped  in  Straw  for  Winter 290 

GARDEN  VIEWS. 

Fig.  283.  Showing  Approaches  to  House.  (Reproduced  from  “ Ciiikusan 

Teizoden,”  a Japanese  Work.) 291 

284.  Little  Garden  belonging  to  the  Priests  of  a Buddhist  Temple. 

(Reproduced  from  “Chikusan  Teizoden,”  a Japanese  Work.)  292 


XX iv  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

Pig.  285.  Garden  op  a Merchant.  (Reproduced  from  “ Chikusan  Teizo- 

den,”  a Japanese  Work.) 293 

“ 286.  Garden  op  a Daimio.  (Reproduced  from  “ Ciiikusan  Teizoden,” 

a Japanese  Work.) 294- 

WELLS  AND  WATER-SUPPLY. 

Fig.  287.  Ancient  Form  of  Well-curb 297 

“ 288.  Stone  AYell-curb  in  Private  Garden  in  Tokio 298 

“ 289.  Wooden  Well-frame 299 

“ 290.  Rustic  Well-frame 299 

“ 291.  Aqueduct  Reservoir  at  Miyajima,  Aki 300 

“ 292.  Aqueducts  at  Miyajima,  Aki 301 

“ 293.  Well  in  Kaga  Yashiki,  Tokio 301 

FLOWERS. 

Fig.  294.  Hanging  Flower-holder  of  Bamboo 305 

“ 295.  Hanging  Flower-holder  of  Basket-work 305 

“ 296.  Cheap  Bracket  for  Flower-pots 307 

“ 297.  Curious  Combination  of  Buckets  for  Flowers 303 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Fig.  298.  Framed  Picture,  with  Supports  312 

“ 299.  Hashira-kakushi 313 

“ 300.  Writing-desk 317 

“ 301.  Staging  on  House-roof,  with  bucket  and  brush 318 

“ 302.  Box  for  Transporting  Articles 319 

OTHER  HOUSES. 

Fig.  303.  Malay  House  near  Singapore 329 

“ 304.  Ridge  of  Roof  in  Cholon,  Anam 330 

“ 305.  Interior  of  Malay  House,  showing  Bed-place.  Singapore  . . . 330 

“ 306.  Aino  House,  Yezo 337 

“ 307.  Aino  House,  Yezo 338 


INTRODUCTION. 


ITHIN  twenty  years  there  has  gradually  appeared  in  our 


country  a variety  of  Japanese  objects  conspicuous  for 


their  novelty  and  beauty,  — lacquers,  pottery  and  porcelain,  forms 
in  wood  and  metal,  curious  shaped  boxes,  quaint  ivory  carvings, 
fabrics  in  cloth  and  paper,  and  a number  of  other  objects  as 
perplexing  in  their  purpose  as  the  inscriptions  which  they  often 
bore.  Most  of  these  presented  technicalities  in  their  work  as 
enigmatical  as  were  their  designs,  strange  caprices  in  their 
ornamentation  which,  though  violating  our  hitherto  recognized 
proprieties  of  decoration,  surprised  and  yet  delighted  us.  The 
utility  of  many  of  the  objects  we  were  at  loss  to  understand ; 
yet  somehow  they  gradually  found  lodgment  in  our  rooms,  even 
displacing  certain  other  objects  which  we  had  been  wont  to 
regard  as  decorative,  and  our  rooms  looked  all  the  prettier  for 
their  substitution.  We  found  it  difficult  to  formulate  the  prin- 
ciples upon  which  such  art  was  based,  and  yet  were  compelled 
to  recognize  its  merit.  Violations  of  perspective,  and  colors  in 
juxtaposition  or  coalescing  that  before  we  had  regarded  as  in- 
harmonious, were  continually  reminding  us  of  Japan  and  her 
curious  people.  Slowly  our  methods  of  decoration  became  im- 
bued with  these  ways  so  new  to  us,  and  yet  so  many  cen- 
turies old  to  the  people  among  whom  these  arts  had  originated. 
Gradually  yet  surely,  these  arts,  at  first  so  little  understood, 


XXVI 


INTR  OD  UCTION. 


modified  our  own  methods  of  ornamentation,  until  frescos  and 
wall-papers,  wood-work  and  carpets,  dishes  and  table-cloths, 
metal  work  and  book-covers,  Christmas  cards  and  even  railroad 
advertisements  were  decorated,  modelled,  and  designed  after  the 
Japanese  style. 

It  was  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  many  of  our  best  artists,  — - 
men  like  Coleman,  Vedder,  Lafarge,  and  others, — had  long  be- 
fore recognized  the  transcendent  merit  of  Japanese  decorative  art. 
It  was  however  somewhat  remarkable  that  the  public  at  large 
should  come  so  universally  to  recognize  it,  and  in  so  short  a time. 
Not  only  our  own  commercial  nation,  but  art-loving  France, 
musical  Germany,  and  even  conservative  England  yielded  to  this 
invasion.  Not  that  new  designs  were  evolved  by  us  ; on  the  con- 
trary, we  were  content  to  adopt  Japanese  designs  outright,  often- 
times with  a mixture  of  incongruities  that  would  have  driven  a 
Japanese  decorator  stark  mad.  Designs  appropriate  for  the  metal 
mounting  of  a sword  blazed  out  on  our  ceilings  ; motives  from 
a heavy  bronze  formed  the  theme  for  the  decoration  of  friable 
pottery ; and  suggestions  from  light  crape  were  woven  into  hot 
carpets  to  be  trodden  upon.  Even  with  this  mongrel  admixture, 
it  was  a relief  by  any  means  to  have  driven  out  of  our  dwelling 
the  nightmares  and  horrors  of  design  we  had  before  endured  so 
meekly,  — such  objects,  for  example,  as  a child  in  dead  brass, 
kneeling  in  perpetual  supplication  on  a dead  brass  cushion,  while 
adroitly  balancing  on  its  head  a receptacle  for  kerosene  oil ; and 
a whole  regiment  of  shapes  equally  monstrous.  Our  walls  no 
longer  assailed  us  with  designs  that  wearied  our  eyes  and  exas- 
perated our  brains  by  their  inanities.  We  were  no  longer  doomed 
to  wipe  our  feet  on  cupids,  horns  of  plenty,  restless  tigers,  or 
scrolls  of  architectural  magnitudes.  Under  the  benign  influence 
of  this  new  spirit  it  came  to  be  realized  that  it  was  not  always 
necessary  to  tear  a flower  in  bits  to  recognize  its  decorative 
value  • and  that  the  simplest  objects  in  Nature  — a spray  of 


INTRODUCTION. 


xxvii 


bamboo,  a pine  cone,  a cherry  blossom  — in  the  right  place  were 
quite  sufficient  to  satisfy  our  craving  for  the  beautiful. 

The  Japanese  exhibit  at  the  Centennial  exposition  in  Phila- 
delphia came  to  us  as  a new  revelation  ; and  the  charming  on- 
slaught of  that  unrivalled  display  completed  the  victory.  It  was 
then  that  the  Japanese  craze  took  firm  hold  of  us.  Books  on 
Japan  rapidly  multiplied,  especially  books  on  decorative  art ; but 
it  was  found  that  such  rare  art  could  be  properly  represented 
only  in  the  most  costly  fashion,  and  with  plates  of  marvellous 
elaboration.  What  the  Japanese  were  able  to  do  with  their 
primitive  methods  of  block-printing  and  a few  colors,  required 
the  highest  genius  of  our  artists  and  chromo-lithographers ; and 
even  then  the  subtile  spirit  which  the  artist  sought  for  could 
not  be  caught. 

The  more  intelligent  among  our  collectors  soon  recognized 
that  the  objects  from  Japan  divided  themselves  into  two  groups, 
— the  one  represented  by  a few  objects  having  great  intrinsic 
merit,  with  a refinement  and  reserve  of  decoration ; the  other 
group,  characterized  by  a more  florid  display  and  less  delicacy 
of  treatment,  forming  by  far  the  larger  number,  consisting 
chiefly  of  forms  in  pottery,  porcelain,  lacquer  and  metal  work. 
These  last  were  made  by  the  Japanese  expressly  for  the  foreign 
market,  many  of  them  having  no  place  in  their  economy,  and 
with  few  exceptions  being  altogether  too  gaudy  and  violent  to 
suit  the  Japanese  taste.  Our  country  became  flooded  with  them ; 
even  the  village  grocery  displayed  them  side  by  side  with  articles 
manufactured  at  home  for  the  same  class  of  customers,  and 
equally  out  of  place  in  the  greater  marts  of  the  country.  To 
us,  however,  these  objects  were  always  pretty,  and  were  more- 
over so  much  cheaper,  with  all  their  high  duties  and  importer’s 
profits,  than  the  stuff  to  which  we  had  been  accustomed,  that 
they  helped  us  out  amazingly  at  every  recurring  Christmas. 
Of  the  better  class  of  objects,  nearly  all  of  them  were  originally 


INTRODUCTION. 


xxviii 

intended  either  for  personal  use  or  adornment,  — such  a6  metal 
clasps,  little  ivory  carvings,  sectional  lacquer-boxes,  fans,  etc.  ; 
or  mere  objects  of  household  use,  such  as  hanging  flower-holders, 
bronze  and  pottery  vases,  incense  burners,  lacquer  cabinets, 
dishes,  etc. 

Naturally  great  curiosity  was  awakened  to  know  more  about 
the  social  life  of  this  remarkable  people  ; and  particularly  was 
it  desirable  to  know  the  nature  of  the  house  that  sheltered  such 
singular  and  beautiful  works  of  art.  In  response  to  the  popular 
demand,  book  after  book  appeared ; but  with  some  noteworthy 
exceptions  they  repeated  the  same  information,  usually  prefaced 
by  an  account  of  the  more  than  special  privileges  accorded 
to  their  authors  by  the  Japanese  government,  followed  by  a 
history  of  the  Japanese  empire  from  its  first  emperor  down  to 
the  present  time,  — apparently  concise  enough,  but  interminable 
with  its  mythologies,  wars,  decays,  restorations,  etc.  Then  we 
had  the  record  of  an  itinerary  of  a few  wreeks  at  some  treaty 
port,  or  of  a brief  sojourn  in  the  country,  where,  to  illustrate 
the  bravery  of  the  author,  imaginary  dangers  were  conjured 
up ; a wild  guess  at  the  ethnical  enigma,  erroneous  conceptions 
of  Japanese  character  and  customs,  — the  whole  illustrated  by 
sketches  derived  from  previous  works  on  the  same  subject,  or 
from  Japanese  sources,  often  without  due  credit  being  given  ; 
and  finally  we  were  given  a forecast  of  the  future  of  Japan, 
with  an  account  of  the  progress  its  public  were  making  in 
adopting  outside  customs,  with  no  warning  of  the  acts  of  hara- 
kiri  their  arts  would  be  compelled  to  perform  in  the  presence 
of  so  many  influences  alien  to  their  nature.  As  an  illustration 
of  this,  could  the  force  of  absurdity  go  further  than  the  at- 
tempt to  introduce  the  Italian  school  of  painting,  — and  this  in 
the  land  of  a Kano ; or  the  melancholy  act  of  a foreign  employe 
of  one  of  the  colleges  in  Tokio,  in  inducing  or  compelling  all  its 
pupils  to  wear  hot  woollen  Scotch  caps,  — converting  a lot  of 


INTRODUCTION. 


XXIX 


handsome  dark-haired  boys,  with  graceful  and  picturesque  dress, 
into  a mob  of  ridiculous  monkeys  ? 

In  these  books  on  Japan  we  look  in  vain  for  any  but  the 
most  general  description  of  what  a Japanese  home  really  is ; 
even  Rein’s  work,  so  apparently  monographic,  dismisses  the 
house  and  garden  in  a few  pages.1  The  present  work  is  an 
attempt  to  fill  this  deficiency,  by  describing  not  only  the  variety 
of  dwellings  seen  in  Japan,  but  by  specializing  more  in  detail 
the  variety  of  structure  seen  within  the  building. 

In  the  following  pages  occasion  has  often  led  to  criticism  and 
comparison.  Aside  from  any  question  of  justice,  it  would  seem 
as  if  criticism,  to  be  of  any  value,  should  be  comparative ; that 
is  to  say,  in  any  running  commentary  on  Japanese  ways  and 
conditions  the  parallel  ways  and  conditions  of  one’s  own  people 
should  be  as  frankly  pointed  out,  or  at  least  recognized.  When 


1 It,  may  he  well  to  state  here  that  most  of  the  good  and  reliable  contributions 
upon  Japan  are  to  he  found  in  the  Transactions  of  the  English  and  German  Asiatic 
Societies  published  in  Yokohama;  also  in  the  pages  of  the  Japan  “ Mail,”  in  the  now 
extinct  Tokio  “ Times,”  and  in  a most  excellent  hut  now  defunct  magazine  called  the 
“Chrysanthemum,”  whose  circulation  becoming  vitiated  by  the  theological  sap  in  its 
tissues,  finally  broke  down  altogether  from  the  dead  weight  of  its  dogmatic  leaves. 

Among  the  many  valuable  papers  published  in  these  Transactions  of  the  Asiatic 
Society  of  Japan,  is  one  by  Thomas  R.  H.  McClatchie,  Escp,  on  “ The  Feudal  Mansions 
of  Yedo,”  vol.  vii.  part  iii.  p.  157,  which  gives  many  important  facts  concerning  a class 
-of  buildings  that  is  rapidly  disappearing,  and  to  which  only  the  slightest  allusion  has 
been  made  in  the  present  work.  The  reader  is  also  referred  to  a Paper  in  the  same 
publication  by  George  Cawley,  Esq.,  entitled  “ Some  Remarks  on  Constructions  in  Brick 
and  Wood,  and  their  Relative  Suitability  for  Japan,”  vol.  vi.  part  ii.  p.  291;  and  also 
to  a Paper  by  R.  H.  Brunton,  Esq.,  on  “Constructive  Art  in  Japan,”  vol.  ii.  p.  64; 
vol.  iii.  part  ii.  p.  20. 

Professor  Huxley  lias  said  in  one  of  his  lectures,  that  if  a(l  the  books  in  the  world  were 
destroyed,  with  the  exception  of  the  Philosophical  Transactions,  “it  is  safe  to  say  that 
the  foundations  of  Physical  Science  would  remain  unshaken,  and  that  the  vast  intellectual 
progress  of  the  last  two  centuries  would  be  largely  though  incompletely  recorded.”  In  a 
similar  way  it  might  almost  be  said  of  the  Japan  “ Mail,”  that  if  all  the  books  which 
have  been  written  by  foreigners  upon  Japan  were  destroyed,  and  files  of  the  Japan 
“ Mail  ” alone  preserved,  we  should  possess  about  all  of  value  that  has  been  recorded  by 
foreigners  concerning  that  country.  This  journal  not  only  includes  the  scholarly  pro- 
ductions of  its  editor,  Capt.  F.  Brinkley,  as  well  as  an  immense  mass  of  material  from 
its  correspondents,  but  has  also  published  the  Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of 
Japan  in  advance  of  the  Society’s  own  publications. 


XXX 


INTRODUCTION. 


one  enters  your  city,  — wliicli  is  fairly  clean  and  tidy,  — and 
complains  of  its  filthy  streets,  the  assumption  is  that  the  streets 
of  his  own  city  are  clean ; and  when  these  are  found  to  he 
dirty  beyond  measure,  the  value  of  the  complaint  or  criticism  is 
at  once  lost,  and  the  author  immediately  set  down  as  a wilful 
maligner.  Either  we  should  follow  the  dictum  of  the  great 
moral  Teacher,  and  hesitate  to  behold  the  mote  in  others’  eyes, 
or  else  in  so  doing  we  should  consider  the  beam  in  our  own. 

This  duty,  however,  even  to  fair  and  unprejudiced  minds, 
becomes  a matter  of  great  difficulty.  It  is  extraordinary  how 
blind  one  may  be  to  the  faults  and  crimes  of  his  own  people, 
and  how  reluctant  to  admit  them.  We  sing  heroic  soldier-songs 
with  energy  and  enthusiasm,  and  are  amazed  to  find  numbers 
in  a Japanese  audience  disapproving,  because  of  the  bloody 
deeds  celebrated  in  such  an  exultant  way.  We  read  daily  in 
our  papers  the  details  of  the  most  blood-curdling  crimes,  and 
often  of  the  most  abhorrent  and  unnatural  ones ; and  yet  we 
make  no  special  reflections  on  the  conditions  of  society  where 
such  things  are  possible,  or  put  ourselves  much  out  of  the  way  to 
arouse  the  people  to  a due  sense  of  the  degradation  and  stain  on 
the  community  at  large  because  of  such  things.  But  we  go 
to  another  country  and  perhaps  find  a new  species  of  vice ; its 
novelty  at  once  arrests  our  attention,  and  forthwith  we  howl 
at  the  enormity  of  the  crime  and  the  degradation  of  the  nation 
in  which  such  a crime  could  originate,  send  home  the  most 
exaggerated  accounts,  malign  the  people  without  stint,  and  then 
prate  to  them  about  Christian  charity  ! 

In  the  study  of  another  people  one  should  if  possible  look 
through  colorless  glasses;  though  if  one  is  to  err  in  this  res- 
pect, it  were  better  that  his  spectacles  should  be  rose-colored  than 
grimed  with  the  smoke  of  prejudice.  The  student  of  Ethnology 
as  a matter  of  policy,  if  he  can  put  himself  in  no  more  gen- 
erous attitude,  had  better  err  in  looking  kindly  and  favorably 


INTRODUCTION. 


XXXI 


at  a people  whose  habits  and  customs  he  is  about  to  study. 
It  is  human  nature  the  world  over  to  resist  adverse  criticism ; 
and  when  one  is  prowling  about  with  his  eyes  darkened  by  the 
opaquest  of  uncorrected  provincial  glasses,  he  is  repelled  on  all 
sides ; nothing  is  accessible  to  him ; he  can  rarely  get  more  than 
a superficial  glance  at  matters.  Whereas,  if  he  tries  honestly 
to  seek  out  the  better  attributes  of  a people,  he  is  only  too- 
welcome  to  proceed  with  any  investigation  he  wishes  to  make; 
even  customs  and  ways  that  appear  offensive  are  freely  re- 
vealed to  him,  knowing  that  he  will  not  wilfully  distort  and 
render  more  painful  what  is  at  the  outset  admitted  on  all  hands 
to  be  bad. 

We  repeat  that  such  investigation  must  be  approached  in  a 
spirit  of  sympathy,  otherwise  much  is  lost  or  misunderstood. 
This  is  not  only  true  as  to  social  customs,  but  also  as  to  studies  in 
other  lines  of  research  as  well.  Professor  Fenollosa,  the  greatest 
authority  on  Japanese  pictorial  art,  says  most  truthfully  that 
“ it  is  not  enough  to  approach  these  delicate  children  of  the  spirit 
with  the  eye  of  mere  curiosity,  or  the  cold  rigid  standard  of 
an  alien  school.  One’s  heart  must  be  large  enough  to  learn 
to  love,  as  the  Japanese  artist  loves,  before  the  veil  can  be 
lifted  to  the  full  splendor  of  their  hidden  beauties.” 

In  this  spirit  I have  endeavored  to  give  an  account  of  Jap- 
anese homes  and  their  surroundings.  I might  have  dealt  only 
with  the  huts  of  the  poorest,  with  the  squalor  of  their  inmates, 
and  given  a meagre  picture  of  Japanese  life ; or  a study  might 
have  been  made  of  the  homes  of  the  wealthy  exclusively,  which 
would  have  been  equally  one-sided.  It  seemed  to  me,  however, 
that  a description  of  the  homes  of  the  middle  classes,  with  occa- 
sional reference  to  those  of  the  higher  and  lower  types,  would 
perhaps  give  a fairer  picture  of  the  character  and  structure  of 
Japanese  homes  and  houses,  than  had  I pursued  either  of  the 
other  courses.  I may  have  erred  in  looking  through  spectacles 


XXX11 


INTRODUCTION. 


tinted  with  rose ; but  if  so,  I have  no  apology  to  make.  Living 
for  some  time  among  a people  with  whom  I have  had  only  the 
most  friendly  relations,  and  to  whom  I still  owe  a thousand  debts 
of  gratitude,  it  would  be  only  a contemptible  and  jaundiced 
temperament  that  could  under  such  circumstances  write  other- 
wise than  kindly,  or  fail  to  make  generous  allowance  for  what 
appear  to  others  as  grave  faults  and  omissions. 

In  regard  to  Japanese  houses,  there  are  many  features  not 
to  my  liking ; and  in  the  ordinary  language  of  travellers  I 
might  speak  of  these  houses  as  huts  and  hovels,  cold  and  cheer- 
less, etc.,  and  give  such  a generic  description  of  them  as  would 
include  under  one  category  all  the  houses  on  the  Pacific  coast 
from  Kamtchatka  to  Java.  Faults  these  houses  have  ; and  in 
criticising  them  I have  endeavored  to  make  my  reflections  com- 
parative ; and  I have  held  up  for  comparison  much  that  is  ob- 
jectionable in  our  own  houses,  as  well  as  the  work  done  by 
our  own  artisans.  But  judging  from  the  rage  and  disgust  ex- 
pressed in  certain  English  publications,  where  one  writer  speaks 
of  “ much  of  the  work  for  wage  as  positively  despicable,”  and 
another  of  the  miseries  entailed  by  the  unscientific  builder,  my 
comparison  may  legitimately  extend  to  England  also.1 

In  the  present  volume  the  attempt  has  been  made  to  de- 
scribe the  Japanese  house  and  its  immediate  surroundings  in 
general  and  in  detail.  No  one  realizes  better  than  the  author 
the  meagreness  in  certain  portions  of  this  work.  It  is  believed, 
however,  that  with  the  many  illustrations,  and  the  classification 
of  the  subject-matter,  much  will  be  made  clear  that  before  was 
vague.  The  figures  are  in  every  case  fac-similes  by  one  of  the 

1 .Still  another  English  writer  says:  “It  is  unpleasant  to  live  within  ugly  walls; 
it  is  still  more  unpleasant  to  live  within  unstable  walls : hut  to  he  obliged  to  live  in 
a tenement  which-  is  both  unstable  and  ugly  is  disagreeable  in  a tenfold  degree.”  He 
thinks  it  is  quite  time  to  evoke  legislation  to  remedy  these  evils,  and  says : “ An 
Englishman’s  house  was  formerly  said  to  be  his  castle;  hut  in  the  hands  of  the  spec- 
ulating builder  and  advertising  tradesman,  we  may  be  grateful  that  it  does  not  oftener 
become  his  tomb.” 


INTR  OD  UCTION.  xxxiii 

relief  processes  of  the  author’s  pen-and-ink  drawings,  and  with 
few  exceptions  are  from  his  own  sketches  made  on  the  spot ; 
so  that  whatever  they  lack  in  artistic  merit,  they  make  up  in 
being  more  or  less  accurate  drawings  of  the  objects  and  features 
depicted.  The  material  has  been  gleaned  from  an  illustrated 
daily  journal,  kept  by  the  author  during  three  successive  resi- 
dences in  that  delightful  country,  embracing  travels  by  land 
from  the  northwest  coast  of  Yezo  to  the  southernmost  parts  of 
Satsuina. 

The  openness  and  accessibility  of  the  Japanese  house  are  a 
distinguishing  feature  of  Japan ; and  no  foreigner  visits  that 
country  without  bringing  away  delightful  memories  of  the  pecu- 
liarly characteristic  dwellings  of  the  Japanese. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  author’s  last  visit  to  Japan  he  also 
visited  China,  Anam,  Singapore,  and  Java,  and  made  studies  of 
the  houses  of  these  various  countries,  with  special  reference  to 
the  Japanese  house  and  its  possible  affinities  elsewhere. 


JAPANESE  HOMES 


THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE  HOUSE. 


Appearance  op  City  and  Tillage.  — General  Description  of  House.  — House 
Construction.  — Framework  and  Foundation.  — Bracing.  — Selection  of  Stock. 
— Construction  of  Ceiling.  — Partitions  and  Walls.  — Structure  of  Kura. — 
Japanese  Carpenters.  — Carpenters’  Tools  and  Appliances. 


BIRD'S-EYE  view  of  a large  city  in  Japan  presents  an 


appearance  quite  unlike  tliat.  presented  by  any  large  as- 
semblage of  buildings  at  home.  A view  of  Tokio,  for  example, 
from  some  elevated  point  reveals  a vast  sea  of  roofs,  — the  gray  of 
the  shingles  and  dark  slate-color  of  the  tiles,  with  didl  reflections 
from  their  surfaces,  giving  a sombre  effect  to  the  whole.  The 
even  expanse  is  broken  here  and  there  by  the  fire-proof  build- 
ings, with  their  ponderous  tiled  roofs  and  ridges  and  pure  white 
or  jet-black  walls.  These,  though  in  color  adding  to  the  sombre 
appearance,  form,  with  the  exception  of  the  temples,  one  of  the 
most  conspicuous  features  in  the  general  monotony.  The  temples 
are  indeed  conspicuous,  as  they  tower  far  above  the  pigmy  dwell- 
ings which  surround  them.  Their  great  black  roofs,  with  massive 
ridges  and  ribs,  and  grand  sweeps  and  white  or  red  gables,  render 
them  striking  objects  from  whatever  point  they  are  viewed.  Green 


2 JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

masses  of  tree-foliage  springing  from  the  numerous  gardens  add 
some  life  to  this  gray  sea  of  domiciles. 

It  is  a curious  sight  to  look  over  a vast  city  of  nearly  a 
million  inhabitants,  and  detect  no  chimney  with  its  liome-like 
streak  of  blue  smoke.  There  is  of  course  no  church  spire,  with 
its  usual  architectural  inanities.  With  the  absence  of  chimneys 
and  the  almost  universal  use  of  charcoal  for  heating  purposes,, 
the  cities  have  an  atmosphere  of  remarkable  clearness  and 
purity ; so  clear,  indeed,  is  the  atmosphere  that  one  may  look 
over  the  city  and  see  distinctly  revealed  the  minuter  details  of 
the  landscape  beyond.  The  great  sun-obscuring  canopy  of  smoke 
and  fumes  that  forever  shroud  some  of  our  great  cities  is  a 
feature  happily  unknown  in  Japan. 

Having  got  such  a bird’s-eye  view  of  one  city,  we  have  seen 
them  all,  — the  minor  variations  consisting,  for  the  most  part, 
in  the  inequalities  of  the  sites  upon  which  they  rest.  A view 
of  Kioto,  for  example,  as  seen  from  some  high  point,  is  remark- 
ably beautiful  and  varied,  as  the  houses  creep  out  between  the 
hills  that  hem  it  in.  In  Nagasaki  the  houses  literally  rise  in 
tiers  from  the  water’s  edge  to  the  hills  immediately  back,  there 
to  become  blended  with  the  city  of  the  dead  which  caps  their 
summits.  A view  of  Nagasaki  from  the  harbor  is  one  of  sur- 
passing interest  and  beauty.  Other  large  cities,  such  as  Sendai, 
Osaka,  Hiroshima,  and  Nagoya  present  the  same  uniform  level 
of  roofs. 

The  compact  way  in  which  in  the  cities  and  towns  the 
houses  are  crowded  together,  barely  separated  by  the  narrow 
streets  and  lanes  which  cross  like  threads  in  every  direction, 
and  the  peculiarly  inflammable  material  of  which  most  of  the 
buildings  are  composed,  explain  the  lightning-like  rapidity  with 
which  a conflagration  spreads  when  once  fairly  under  way. 

In  the  smaller  villages  the  houses  are  stretched  along  the 
sides  of  a single  road,  nearly  all  being  arranged  in  this  waj-. 


Fig.  2.  — A View  in  Tokio,  showing  Temples  and  Gardens.  (Copied  prom  a Photograph.) 


APPEARANCE  OF  CITY  AND  VILLAGE. 


3 


4 JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

sometimes  extending  for  a mile  or  more.  Rarely  ever  does  one 
see  a cross  street  or  lane,  or  evidences  of  compactness,  save  that 
near  the  centre  of  this  long  street  the  houses  and  shops  often 
abut,  while  those  at  the  end  of  the  streets  have  ample  space 
between  them.  Some  villages,  which  from  their  situation  have 
no  chance  of  expanding,  become  densely  crowded:  such  for 
example  is  the  case  of  Enosliima,  near  Yokohama,  wherein  the 
main  street  runs  directly  from  the  shore,  by  means  of  a series 
of  steps  at  intervals,  to  a flight  of  stone  steps,  which  lead  to 
the  temples  and  shrines  at  the  summit  of  the  island.  This 
street  is  flanked  on  both  sides  by  hills ; and  the  ravine,  of 
which  the  street  forms  the  central  axis,  is  densely  crowded 
with  houses,  the  narrowest  of  alley-ways  leading  to  the  houses 
in  the  rear.  A fire  once  started  would  inevitably  result  in  the 
destruction  of  every  house  in  the  village. 

It  is  a curious  fact  that  one  may  ride  long  distances  in  the 
country  without  passing  a single  dwelling,  and  then  abruptly 
enter  a village.  The  entrance  to  a village  is  often  marked  by 
a high  mound  of  earth  on  each  side  of  the  road,  generally  sur- 
mounted by  a tree;  or  perhaps  the  evidences  of  an  old  barrier 
are  seen  in  the  remains  of  gate-posts  or  a stone-wall.  Having 
passed  through  the  village  one  enters  the  country  again,  with 
its  rice-fields  and  cultivated  tracts,  as  abruptly  as  he  had  left 
it.  The  villages  vary  greatly  in  their  appearance : some  are 
extremely  trim  and  pretty,  with  neat  flower-plats  in  front  of  the 
houses,  and  an  air  of  taste  and  comfort  everywhere  apparent ; 
other  villages  present  marked  evidences  of  poverty,  squalid 
houses  with  dirty  children  swarming  about  them.  Indeed,  the 
most  striking  contrasts  are  seen  between  the  various  villages 
one  passes  through  in  a long  overland  trip  in  Japan. 

It  is  difficult  to  imagine  a more  dreary  and  dismal  sight 
than  the  appearance  of  some  of  these  village  streets  on  a rainy 
night.  No  brightly-lighted  window  cheers  the  traveller ; only 


APPEARANCE  OF  CITY  AND  VILLAGE. 


5 


dim  lines  of  light  glimmer  through  the  chinks  of  the  wooden 
shutters  with  which  every  house  is  closed  at  night.  On  pleasant 
evenings  when  the  paper  screens  alone  are  closed,  a ride  through 
a village  street  is  often  rendered  highly  amusing  by  the  grotesque 
shadow-pictures  which  the  inmates  are  unconsciously  projecting 
in  their  movements  to  and  fro. 


In  the  cities  the  quarters  for  the  wealthier  classes  are  not 
so  sharply  defined  as  with  us,  though  the  love  for  pleasant 
outlooks  and  beautiful  scenery  tends  to  enhance  the  value  of 
certain  districts,  and  consequently  to  bring  together  the  wealthier 
classes.  In  nearly  all  the  cities,  however,  you  will  find  the 
houses  of  the  wealthy  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  habita- 
tions of  the  poorest.  In  Tokio  one  may  find  streets,  or  narrow 


6 JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

alleys,  lined  with  a continuous  row  of  the  cheapest  shelters  ; 
and  here  dwell  the  poorest  people.  Though  squalid  and  dirty 
as  such  places  appear  to  the  Japanese,  they  are  immaculate 
in  comparison  with  the  unutterable  filth  and  misery  of  similar 
quarters  in  nearly  all  the  great  cities  of  Christendom.  Certainly 
a rich  man  in  Japan  would  not,  as  a general  thing,  buy  up  the 
land  about  his  house  to  keep  the  poorer  classes  at  a distance, 
for  the  reason  that  their  presence  would  not  be  objectionable, 
since  poverty  in  Japan  is  not  associated  with  the  impossible 
manners  of  a similar  class  at  home. 

Before  proceeding  with  a special  description  of  Japanese 
homes,  a general  description  of  the  house  may  render  the 
chapters  that  are  to  follow  a little  more  intelligible. 

The  first  sight  of  a Japanese  house,  — that  is,  a house  of  the 
people,  — is  certainly  disappointing.  From  the  infinite  variety 
and  charming  character  of  their  various  works  of  art,  as  we  had 
seen  them  at  home,  we  were  anticipating  new  delights  and  sur- 
prises m the  character  of  the  house ; nor  were  we  on  more 
intimate  acquaintance  to  be  disappointed.  As  an  American 
familiar  with  houses  of  certain  types,  with  conditions  among 
them  signifying  poverty  and  shiftlessness,  and  other  conditions 
signifying  refinement  and  wealth,  I was  not  competent  to 
judge  the  relative  merits  of  a Japanese  house. 

The  first  sight,  then,  of  a Japanese  house  is  disappointing ; 
it  is  unsubstantial  in  appearance,  and  there  is  a meagreness  of 
color.  Being  unpainted,  it  suggests  poverty ; and  this  absence 
of  paint,  with  the  gray  and  often  rain-stained  color  of  the 
boards,  leads  one  to  compare  it  with  similar  unpainted  buildings 
at  home,  — and  these  are  usually  barns  and  sheds  in  the  country, 
and  the  houses  of  the  poorer  people  in  the  city.  With  one’s  eye 
accustomed  to  the  bright  contrasts  of  American  houses  with 
their  white,  or  light,  painted  surfaces ; rectangular  windows, 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  HOUSE. 


7 


black  from  the  shadows  within,  with  glints  of  light  reflected  from 
the  glass ; front  door  with  its  pretentious  steps  and  portico ; 
warm  red  chimneys  surmounting  all,  and  a general  trimness  of 
appearance  outside,  which  is  by  no  means  always  correlated  with 
like  conditions  within,  — one  is  too  apt  at  the  outset  to  form 
a low  estimate  of  a Japanese  house.  An  American  finds  it 
difficult  indeed  to  consider  such  a structure  as  a dwelling,  when 
so  many  features  are  absent  that  go  to  make  up  a dwelling  at 
home,  — no  doors  or  windows  such  as  he  had  been  familiar 
with ; no  attic  or  cellar ; no  chimneys,  and  within  no  fire-place, 
and  of  course  no  customary  mantle  ; no  permanently  enclosed 
rooms  ; and  as  for  furniture,  no  beds  or  tables,  chairs  or  similar 
articles,  — at  least,  so  it  appears  at  first  sight. 

One  of  the  chief  points  of  difference  in  a Japanese  house 
as  compared  with  ours  lies  in  the  treatment  of  partitions  and 
outside  walls.  In  our  houses  these  are  solid  and  permanent ; and 
when  the  frame  is  built,  the  partitions  form  part  of  the  frame- 
work. In  the  Japanese  house,  on  the  contrary,  there  are  two  or 
more  sides  that  have  no  permanent  walls.  Within,  also,  there 
are  but  few  partitions  which  have  similar  stability ; in  their 
stead  are  slight  sliding  screens  which  run  in  appropriate  grooves 
in  the  floor  and  overhead.  These  grooves  mark  the  limit  of 
each  room.  The  screens  may  be  opened  by  sliding  them  back, 
or  they  may  be  entirely  removed,  thus  throwing  a number  of 
rooms  into  one  great  apartment.  In  the  same  way  the  whole 
side  of  a house  may  be  flung  open  to  sunlight  and  air.  For 
communication  between  the  rooms,  therefore,  swinging  doors 
are  not  necessary.  As  a substitute  for  windows,  the  outside 
screens,  or  shoji,  are  covered  with  white  paper,  allowing  the 
light  to  be  diffused  through  the  house. 

Where  external  walls  appear  they  are  of  wood  unpainted,  or 
painted  black ; and  if  of  plaster,  white  or  dark  slate  colored.  In 
certain  classes  of  buildings  the  outside  wall,  to  a height  of  several 


8 JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


feet  from  the  ground,  and  sometimes  even  the  entire  wall,  may  be 
tiled,  the  interspaces  being  pointed  with  white  plaster.  The  roof 
may  be  either  lightly  shingled,  heavily  tiled,  or  thickly  thatched. 
It  has  a moderate  pitch,  and  as  a general  thing  the  slope  is  not  so 
steep  as  in  our  roofs.  Nearly  all  the  houses  have  a verandah, 
which  is  protected  by  the  widely-overhanging  eaves  of  the  roof, 
or  by  a light  supplementary  roof  projecting  from  beneath  the 
eaves. 

While  most  houses  of  the  better  class  have  a definite  porch  and 
vestibule,  or  genka , in  houses  of  the  poorer  class  this  entrance  is 
not  separate  from  the  living  room ; and  since  the  interior  of  the 
house  is  accessible  from  two  or  three  sides,  one  may  enter  it  from 
any  point.  The  floor  is  raised  a foot  and  a half  or  more  from  the 
ground,  and  is  covered  with  thick  straw  mats,  rectangular  in 
shape,  of  uniform  size,  with  sharp  square  edges,  and  so  closely 
fitted  that  the  floor  upon  which  they  rest  is  completely  hidden. 
The  rooms  are  either  square  or  rectangular,  and  are  made  with 
absolute  reference  to  the  number  of  mats  they  are  to  contain. 
With  the  exception  of  the  guest-room  few  rooms  have  projections 
or  bays.  In  the  guest-room  there  is  at  one  side  a more  or  less 
deep  recess  divided  into  two  bays  by  a slight  partition ; the  one 
nearest  the  verandah  is  called  the  tokonomci.  In  this  place  hang 
one  or  more  pictures,  and  upon  its  floor,  which  is  slightly  raised 
above  the  mats,  rests  a flower  vase,  incense  burner,  or  some  other 
object.  The  companion  bay  has  shelves  and  a low  closet.  Other 
rooms  also  may  have  recesses  to  accommodate  a case  of  drawers 
or  shelves.  Where  closets  and  cupboards  occur,  they  are  finished 
with  sliding  screens  instead  of  swinging  doors.  In  tea-houses  of 
two  stories  the  stairs,  which  often  ascend  from  the  vicinity  of 
the  kitchen,  have  beneath  them  a closet ; and  this  is  usually 
closed  by  a swinging  door. 

The  privy  is  at  one  corner  of  the  house,  at  the  end  of  the 
verandah  ; sometimes  there  are  two  at  diagonal  corners  of  the 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  OF  HOUSE. 


9 


house.  In  the  poorer  class  of  country  houses  the  privy  is  an 
isolated  building  with  low  swinging  door,  the  upper  half  of  the 
door-space  being  open. 

In  city  houses  the  kitchen  is  at  one  side  or  corner  of  the  house ; 
generally  in  an  L,  covered  with  a pent  roof.  This  apartment  is 
often  towards  the  street,  its  yard  separated  from  other  areas  by 
a high  fence.  In  the  country  the  kitchen  is  nearly  always  under 
the  main  roof.  In  the  city  few  out-buildings  such  as  sheds  and 
barns  are  seen.  Accompanying  the  houses  of  the  better  class  are 
solid,  thick-walled,  one  or  two  storied,  fire-proof  buildings  called 
kura,  in  which  the  goods  and  chattels  are  stored  away  at  the 
time  of  a conflagration.  These  buildings,  which  are  known  to 
the  foreigners  as  “godowns,”  have  one  or  two  small  windows 
and  one  door,  closed  by  thick  and  ponderous  shutters.  Such  a 
building  usually  stands  isolated  from  the  dwelling,  though  often 
in  juxtaposition ; and  sometimes,  though  rarely,  it  is  used  as  a 
domicile. 

In  the  gardens  of  the  better  classes  summer-houses  and  shelters 
of  rustic  appearance  and  diminutive  proportions  are  often  seen. 
Rustic  arbors  are  also  to  be  seen  in  the  larger  gardens.  Specially 
constructed  houses  of  quaint  design  and  small  size  are  not  uncom- 
mon ; in  these  the  ceremonial  tea-parties  take  place.  High  fences, 
either  of  board  or  bamboo,  or  solid  walls  of  mud  or  tile  with  stone 
foundations,  surround  the  house  or  enclose  it  from  the  street.  Low 
rustic  fences  border  the  gardens  in  the  suburbs.  Gateways  of 
various  styles,  some  of  imposing  design,  form  the  entrances ; as 
a general  thing  they  are  either  rustic  and  light,  or  formal  and 
massive. 

Whatever  is  commonplace  in  the  appearance  of  the  house  is 
towards  the  street,  while  the  artistic  and  picturesque  face  is  turned 
towards  the  garden,  which  may  be  at  one  side  or  in  the  rear  of  the 
house,  — usually  in  the  rear.  Within  these  plain  and  unpreten- 
tious houses  there  are  often  to  be  seen  marvels  of  exquisite  carving. 


10  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

and  the  perfection  of  cabinet  work ; and  surprise  follows  surprise, 
as  one  becomes  more  fully  acquainted  with  the  interior  finish  of 
these  curious  and  remarkable  dwellings. 

In  the  sections  which  are  to  follow,  an  attempt  will  be  made 
by  description  and  sketches  to  convey  some  idea  of  the  details 
connected  with,  the  structure  and  inside  finish  of  the  Japanese 
house. 

There  is  no  object  in  Japan  that  seems  to  excite  more 
diverse  and  adverse  criticism  among  foreigners  than  does  the 
Japanese  house  ; it  is  a constant  source  of  perplexity  and  an- 
noyance to  most  of  them.  An  Englishman  particularly,  whom 
Emerson  says  he  finds  “ to  be  him  of  all  men  who  stands 
firmest  in  his  shoes,”  recognizes  but  little  merit  in  the  apparently 
frail  and  perishable  nature  of  these  structures.  He  naturally 
dislikes  the  anomaly  of  a house  of  the  lightest  description  often- 
times sustaining  a roof  of  the  most  ponderous  character,  and 
fairly  loathes  a structure  that  has  no  king-post,  or  at  least  a 
queen-post,  truss ; while  the  glaring  absurdity  of  a house  that 
persists  in  remaining  upright  without  a foundation,  or  at  least 
without  his  kind  of  a foundation,  makes  him  furious.  The 
mistake  made  by  most  writers  in  criticising  Japanese  house- 
structure,  and  indeed  many  other  matters  connected  with  that 
country,  is  that  these  writers  do  not  regard  such  matters  from 
a Japanese  stand-point.  They  do  not  consider  that  the  nation 
is  poor,  and  that  the  masses  are  in  poverty ; nor  do  they  con- 
sider that  for  this  reason  a Japanese  builds  such  a house  as  he 
can  afford,  and  one  that  after  all  is  as  thoroughly  adapted  to 
his  habits  and  wants  as  ours  is  to  our  habits  and  wants. 

The  observation  of  a Japanese  has  shown  him  that  from  gen- 
eration to  generation  the  houses  of  his  people  have  managed  to 
sustain  themselves  ; and  if  in  his  travels  abroad  he  has  chanced 
to  visit  England,  he  will  probably  recall  the  fact  that  he  saw 


HOUSE  CONSTRUCTION. 


11 


more  dilapidated  tenements,  tumble-down  shanties,  broken-backed 
farm-houses,  cracked  walls,  and  toppling  fences  in  a single  day 
in  that  virtuous  country  where  there  are  no  typhoons  or  earth- 
quakes, than  he  would  see  in  a year’s  travel  in  his  own  country. 

When  one  of  these  foreign  critical  writers  contemplates  the 
framework  of  a Japanese  house,  and  particularly  the  cross-beams 
of  the  roof,  and  finds  no  attempt  at  trussing  and  bracing,  he  is 
seized  with  an  eager  desire  to  go  among  these  people  as  a mis- 
sionary of  trusses  and  braces,  — it  is  so  obvious  that  much  vTood 
might  be  saved ! In  regard  to  the  Japanese  house-frame,  how- 
ever, it  is  probable  that  the  extra  labor  of  constructing  braces 
and  trusses  would  not  compensate  for  the  difference  saved  in 
the  wood. 

Rein,  in  his  really  admirable  book  on  Japan,  says  “ the 
Japanese  house  lacks  chiefly  solidity  and  comfort.”  If  he  means 
comfort  for  himself  and  his  people,  one  can  understand  him ; 
if  he  means  comfort  for  the  Japanese,  then  he  has  not  the 
faintest  conception  of  the  solid  comfort  a Japanese  gets  out 
of  his  house.  Rein  also  complains  of  the  evil  odors  of  the 
closet  arrangements,  though  his  complaints  refer  more  parti- 
cularly to  the  crowded  inns,  which  are  often  in  an  exceedingly 
filthy  condition  as  regards  these  necessary  conveniences,  — and 
one  is  led  to  inquire  what  the  Japanese  would  think  of  similar 
features  in  Germany,  where  in  the  larger  cities  the  closet  may 
be  seen  opening  directly  into  the  front  hall,  and  in  some  cases 
even  from  the  dining-room ! Bad  as  some  of  these  conditions 
are  in  Japan,  they  are  mild  in  comparison  with  like  features  in 
Germany.  The  filthy  state  of  the  larger  cities,  in  this  respect, 
may  be  indicated  by  the  fact  that  the  death-rate  of  Munich  a 
few  years  ago  was  forty-four,  and  Kaulbach  died  of  cholera  in 
that  city  in  mid-winter ! Indeed,  the  presence  of  certain  feat- 
ures in  every  bed-chamber  at  home  and  abroad  are  looked  upon 
as  surpassingly  filthy  by  every  Japanese,  — as  they  truly  are. 


12  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Rein  and  other  writers  speak  of  the  want  of  privacy  in 
Japanese  dwellings,  forgetting  that  privacy  is  only  necessary  in 
the  midst  of  vulgar  and  impertinent  people,  — a class  of  which 
Japan  has  the  minimum,  and  the  so-called  civilized  races  — the 
English  and  American  particularly  — have  the  maximum. 

For  my  part,  I find  much  to  admire  in  a Japanese  house,  and 
some  things  not  to  my  comfort.  The  sitting  posture  on  the  floor 
is  painful  until  one  gets  accustomed  to  it ; and,  naturally,  I find 
that  our  chairs  are  painful  to  the  Japanese,  until  they  become 
accustomed  to  them.  I found  the  Japanese  house  in  winter 
extremely  cold  and  uncomfortable ; but  I question  whether  their 
cold  rooms  in  winter  are  not  more  conducive  to  health  than 
are  our  apartments  with  our  blistering  stoves,  hot  furnaces  or 
steam-lieaters  ; and  as  to  the  odors  arising  from  the  closet 
in  certain  country  inns,  who  does  not  recall  similar  offensive 
features  in  many  of  our  country  inns  at  home,  with  the  addi- 
tion of  slovenly  yards  and  reeking  piggeries  ? I question,  too, 
whether  these  odors  are  more  injurious  to  the  health  than  is 
the  stifling  air  from  a damp  and  noisome  cellar,  which  not 
only  filters  through  our  floors,  but  is  often  served  to  us  hot 
through  scorching  furnaces.  Whittier’s  description  of  the  coun- 
try house, — • 

“ The  best  room 

Stifling  with  cellar-damp,  shut  from  the  air 
In  hot  midsummer, n — • 

is  only  too  true  of  many  of  our  American  houses  both  in  the 
country  and  city. 

Whether  the  Japanese  house  is  right  or  wrong  in  its  plan 
and  construction,  it  answers  admirably  the  purposes  for  which 
it  was  intended.  A fire-proof  building  is  certainly  beyond  the 
means  of  a majority  of  this  people,  as,  indeed,  it  is  with  us ; 
and  not  being  able  to  build  such  a dwelling,  they  have  from 
necessity  gone  to  the  other  extreme,  and  built  a house  whose 
very  structure  enables  it  to  be  rapidly  demolished  in  the  path 


HOUSE  CONSTRUCTION. 


13 


of  a conflagration.  Mats,  screen-partitions,  and  even  the  board 
ceilings  can  be  quickly  packed  up  and  carried  away.  The  root 
is  rapidly  denuded  of  its  tiles  and  boards,  and  the  skeleton  frame- 
work left  makes  but  slow  fuel  for  the  flames.  The  efforts  of  the 
firemen  in  checking  the  progress  of  a conflagration  consist  mainly 
in  tearing  down  these  adjustable  structures ; and  in  this  con- 
nection it  may  be  interesting  to  record  the  curious  fact  that 
oftentimes  at  a fire  the  streams  are  turned,  not  upon  the  flames, 
but  upon  the  men  engaged  in  tearing  down  the  building ! 

The  improvements,  however,  that  are  imperatively  demanded 
in  Japanese  house-structure  are  such  modifications  as  shall  render 
the  building  less  inflammable.  While  these  inflammable  houses 
may  be  well  enough  in  the  suburbs  or  in  country  villages,  they 
are  certainly  quite  out  of  place  in  cities ; arid  here,  indeed,  the 
authorities  are  justified  in  imposing  such  restrictions  as  shall  not 
bear  too  heavily  upon  the  people. 

The  Japanese  should  clearly  understand  that  insuperable  diffi- 
culties are  to  be  encountered  in  any  attempt  to  modify  their  style 
of  dwellings,  and  that  many  of  such  proposed  modifications  are 
neither  judicious  nor  desirable.  That  slight  changes  for  safety 
may  be  effected,  however,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  Through  the- 
agency  of  science,  means  may  be  found  by  which  outside  wood- 
work may  be  rendered  less  inflammable,  — either  by  fire-proof 
paint  or  other  devices. 

The  mean  path  of  Tokio  conflagrations  has  been  ingeniously 
worked  out  by  Professor  Yamakawa,  from  data  extending  back 
two  hundred  years ; and  in  this  path  certain  areas  might  he  left 
open  with  advantage.  Fire-proof  blocks  in  foreign  style,  such  as 
now  exist  on  the  Ginza,  may  be  ultimately  constructed  in  this 
path.  Since  the  last  great  conflagration,  the  Tokio  authorities 
have  specified  certain  districts  within  which  shingled  roofs  shall 
not  be  made ; and  where  such  roofs  existed,  the  authorities  have 
compelled  the  substitution  of  tin,  zinc,  or  tiled  roofs.  Above  all,. 


14  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


let  there  be  a reorganization,  under  Government,  of  the  present 
corrupt  fire-brigades.  Such  changes  will  certainly  lead  to  good 
results  5 but  as  to  altering  the  present  plan  of  house-building  and 
present  modes  of  living,  it  is  not  only  impracticable  but  well-nigh 
impossible.  If  such  changes  are  effected,  then  will  perish  many  of 
the  best  features  of  true  Japanese  art,  which  has  been  the  sur- 
prise and  admiration  of  Western  nations,  and  of  which  in  the 
past  they  have  been  the  unwitting  cause  of  the  modification  and 
degradation  it  has  already  undergone. 


The  frame-work  of  an  ordinary  Japanese  dwelling  is  simple 
and  primitive  in  structure ; it  consists  of  a number  of  upright 
beams  which  run  from  the  ground  to  the  transverse  beams  and 
inclines  of  the  roof  above.  The  vertical  framing  is  held  together 
either  by  short  strips  which  are  let  in  to  appropriate  notches 
in  the  uprights  to  which  the  bamboo  lathing  G fixed,  or  by 


FRAME-WORK  AND  FOUNDATION. 


15 


longer  strips  of  wood  which  pass  through  mortises  in  the  uprights 
and  are  firmly  keyed  or  pinned  into  place  (fig.  4).  In  larger 
houses  these  uprights  are  held  in  position  by  a frame-work  near 
the  ground.  There  is  no  cellar  or  excavation  beneath  the  house, 
nor  is  there  a continuous  stone  foundation  as  with  us.  The  up- 
rights rest  directly,  and  without  attachment,  upon  single  uncut  or 
rough-hewn  stones,  these  in  turn  resting  upon  others  which  have 


been  solidly  pounded  into  the  earth  by  means  of  a huge  wooden 
maul  worked  by  a number  of  men  (fig.  5).  In  this  way  the  house 
is  perched  upon  these  stones,  with  the  floor  elevated  at  least  a foot 
and  a half  or  two  feet  above  the  ground.  In  some  cases  the  space 
between  the  uprights  is  boarded  up ; this  is  generally  seen  in 
Kioto  houses.  In  others  the  wind  has  free  play  beneath  ; and 
while  this  exposed  condition  renders  the  house  much  colder  and 
more  uncomfortable  in  winter,  the  inmates  are  never  troubled  by 
the  noisome  air  of  the  cellar,  which,  as  we  have  said,  too  often 


16  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

infects  our  houses  at  home.  Closed  wooden  fences  of  a more 
solid  character  are  elevated  in  this  way;  that  is,  the  lower  rail 
or  sill  of  the  fence  rests  directly  upon  stones  placed  at  intervals 
apart  of  six  or  eight  feet.  The  ravages  of  numerous  ground- 
insects,  as  well  as  larvae,  and  the  excessive  dampness  of  the 
ground  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  render  this  method  of 
building  a necessity. 

The  accurate  way  in  which  the  base  of  the  uprights  is 
wrought  to  lit  the  inequalities  of  the  stones  upon  which  they 

rest,  is  worthy  of  notice.  In  the 
Emperor’s  garden  we  saw  a two- 
storied  house  finished  in  the  most 
simple  and  exquisite  manner.  It 
was,  indeed,  like  a beautiful  cab- 
inet, though  disfigured  by  a 
bright-colored  foreign  carpet  up- 
on its  lower  floor.  The  uprights 
of  this  structure  rested  on  large 
oval  beach-worn  stones  buried 
endwise  in  the  ground ; and  up- 
on the  smooth  rounded  portions 
of  the  stones,  which  projected 
above  the  level  of  the  ground 
to  a height  of  ten  inches  or  more, 
the  uprights  had  been  most  accur- 
ately fitted  (fig.  6).  The  effect  was  extremely  light  and  buoyant, 
though  apparently  insecure  to  the  last  degree ; yet  this  building 
had  not  only  withstood  a number  of  earthquake  shocks,  but  also 
the  strain  of  severe  typhoons,  which  during  the  summer  months 
sweep  over  Japan  with  such  violence.  If  the  building  be  very 
small,  then  the  frame  consists  of  four  corner-posts  running  to 
the  roof.  In  dwellings  having  a frontage  of  two  or  more  rooms, 
other  uprights  occur  between  the  corner-posts.  As  the  rooms 


FRAME-WORK  AND  FOUNDATION 


17 


increase  in  number  through  the  house,  uprights  come  in  the  cor- 
ners of  the  rooms,  against  which  the  slicling-screens,  or  fusuma , 
abut.  The  passage  of  these  uprights  through  the  room  to  the 


roof  above  gives  a solid  constructive  appearance  to  the  house. 
When  a house  has  a verandah,  — and  nearly  every  house  possesses 
this  feature  on  one  or  more  of  its  sides,  — another  row  of  up- 
rights starts  in  a line  with 
the  outer  edge  of  the  ve- 
randah. Unless  the  ve- 
randah be  very  long,  an 
upright  at  each  end  is 
sufficient  to  support  the 
supplementary  roof  which 
shelters  it.  These  up- 
rights support  a cross- 
beam, upon  which  the 
slight  rafters  of  the  sup- 
plementary roof  rest. 
This  cross-beam  is  often  a straight  unhewn  stick  of  timber 
from  which  the  bark  has  been  removed  (fig.  49).  Indeed, 

most  of  the  horizontal  framing-timbers,  as  well  as  the  rafters, 


18  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


are  usually  unhewn,  — the  rafters  often  having  the  bark  on,  or 
perhaps  being  accurately  squared  sticks ; but  in  either  case  they 
are  always  visible  as  they  project  from  the  sides  of  the  house,, 
and  run  out  to  support  the  overhanging  eaves.  The  larger  beams 
and  girders  are  but  slightly  hewn  ; and  it  is  not  unusual  to  see 


irregular-shaped  beams  worked  into  the  construction  of  a frame, 
often  for  their  quaint  effects  (fig.  7),  and  in  many  cases  as  a 
matter  of  economy  (fig.  39). 

For  a narrow  house,  if  the  roof  be  a gable,  a central  upright 
at  each  end  of  the  building  gives  support  to  the  ridge-pole  from 
which  the  rafters  run  to  the  eaves  (fig.  8).  If  the  building 
be  wide,  a transverse  beam  traverses  the  end  of  the  building 
on  a level  with  the  eaves,  supported  at  intervals  by  uprights 
from  the  ground ; and  upon  this  short  uprights  rest,  supporting 


FRAME- WORK  AND  FOUNDATION. 


19 


another  transverse  beam  above,  and  often  three  or  more  tieis 
are  carried  nearly  to  the  ridge.  Upon  these  supports  rest  the 
horizontal  beams  which  run  parallel  with  the  ridge-pole,  and 
which  are  intended  to  give  support  to  the  rafters  (fig.  9). 

In  the  case  of  a wide  gable-roof  there  are  many  ways  to 
support  the  frame,  one  of  which  is  illustrated  in  the  following 
outline  (fig.  10).  Here  a stout  stick  of  timber  runs  from  one 
end  of  the  house  to  the  other  on  a vertical  line  with  the 
ridge-pole,  and  on  a level  with  the  eaves,  lliis  stick  is  always 
crowning,  in  order  to  give  additional  strength.  A few  thick 
uprights  start  from  this  to  support  the  ridge-pole  above ; from 


these  uprights  beams  run  to  the  eaves  ; these  are  mortised  into 
the  uprights,  but  at  different  levels  on  either  side  in  order 
not  to  weaken  the  uprights  by  the  mortises.  From  these  beams 
run  short  supports  to  the  horizontal  rafters  above. 

The  roof,  if  it  be  of  tile  or  thatch,  represents  a massive 
weight,  — the  tiles  being  thick  and  quite  heavy,  and  always 
bedded  in  a thick  layer  of  mud.  The  thatch,  though  not  so 
heavy,  often  becomes  so  after  a long  rain.  The  roof-framing 
consequently  has  oftentimes  to  support  a great  weight ; and 
though  in  its  structure  looking  weak,  or  at  least  primitive  in 
design,  yet  experience  must  have  taught  the  Japanese  carpenter 
that  their  methods  were  not  only  the  simplest  and  most  economi- 
cal, but  that  they  answered  all  requirements.  One  is  amazed 


20  JAPANESE  IJ ONES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

to  see  how  many  firemen  can  gather  upon  such  a roof  without 
its  yielding.  I have  seen  massive  house-roofs  over  two  hundred 
years  old,  and  other  frame  structures  of  a larger  size  and  of 
far  greater  age,  which  presented  no  visible  signs  of  weakness. 
Indeed,  it  is  a very  unusual  sight  to  see  a broken-backed  roof 
in  Japan. 

The  beams  that  support  the  roofs  of  the  fire-proof  buildings,  or 
kurct,  are  usually  rough-hewn  and  of  ponderous  dimensions.  It 


would  seem  that  here,  at  least,  the  foreign  method  of  trussing 
might  be  an  economy  of  material,  besides  giving  much  greater 
strength ; and  yet  the  expense  of  reducing  these  beams  to 
proper  dimensions,  in  the  absence  of  saw-mills  and  other  labor- 
saving  machinery,  with  the  added  expense  of  iron  rods,  bolts,  etc., 
would  more  than  counterbalance  the  saving  of  material  (fig.  11). 
In  Fig.  11  is  shown  the  universal  method  of  roof  support ; 
namely,  horizontal  beams  resting  upon  perpendicular  walls,  these 
in  turn  supporting  vertical  beams,  which  again  give  support  to 
horizontal  beams.  That  the  Japanese  have  been  familiar  with  the 
arch  is  seen  in  some  of  their  old  stone  bridges ; but  they  seem  as 


FRAME-WORK  AND  FOUNDATION. 


21 


averse  to  using  this  principle  in  their  house-architecture  as  were 
the  Egyptians  and  Hindus.  Fergusson,  in  his  illustrated  Hand- 
book of  Architecture,  page  xxxv,  says : “ So  convinced  were  the 
Egyptians  and  Greeks  of  this  principle,  that  they  never  used  any 
other  construction-expedient  than  a perpendicular  wall  or  prop, 
supporting  a horizontal  beam ; and  hall  the  satisfactory  effect  of 
their  buildings  arises  from  their  adhering  to  this  simple  though 
expensive  mode  of  construction.  They  were  perfectly  acquainted 
with  the  use  of  the  arch  and  its  properties,  but  they  knew  that  its 
employment  would  introduce  complexity  and  confusion  into  their 
designs,  and  therefore  they  wisely  rejected  it.  Even  to  the  pres- 
ent day  the  Hindus  refuse  to  use  the  arch,  though  it  has  long 
been  employed  in  their  country  by  the  Mahometans.  As  they 
quaintly  express  it,  ( an  arch  never  sleeps ; ’ and  it  is  true  that  by 
its  thrusting  and  pressure  it  is  always  tending  to  tear  a building 
to  pieces.  In  spite  of  all  counterpoises,  whenever  the  smallest 
damage  is  done  it  hastens  the  ruin  of  a building  which,  if  more 
simply  constructed,  might  last  for  ages.” 

When  the  frame  is  mortised,  the  carpenter  employs  the  most 
elaborate  methods  of  mortising,  of  which  there  are  many  different 
formulas ; yet  I was  informed  by  an  American  architect  that  their 
ways  had  no  advantage  as  regards  strength  over  those  employed 
by  our  carpenters  in  doing  the  same  work.  There  certainly  seems 
to  be  much  unnecessary  work  about  many  of  their  framing-joints. 
This  same  gentleman  greatly  admired  the  way  in  which  the 
Japanese  carpenter  used  the  adze,  and  regretted  that  more  of  this 
kind  of  work  was  not  clone  in  America.  In  scarfing  beams  a com- 
mon form  of  joint  is  made,  precisely  similar  to  that  made  by  our 
carpenters  (fig.  4).  This  joint  is  called  a Samisen  tsugi,  it  being 
similar  to  the  joint  in  the  handle  of  a guitar-like  instrument 
called  a samisen.1 


1 Fig.  12  represents  the  frame-work  of  an  ordinary  two-storied  house.  It  is  copied 
from  a Japanese  carpenter’s  drawing,  kindly  furnished  the  writer  hy  Mr.  Fukuzawa,  of 
Tokio,  proper  corrections  in  perspective  having  been  made.  The  various  parts  have  been 


JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TI1E IB,  SURROUNDINGS. 


99 


Fig.  12. — Framing  or  an  Ordinary  Two-storied  House 


BRACING. 


23 


Diagonal  bracing  in  the  frame-work  of  a building  is  never 
seen.  Sometimes,  however,  the  uprights  in  a weak  frame  are 
supported  by  braces  running  from 
the  ground  at  an  acute  angle, 
and  held  in  place  by  wooden  pins 
(fig.  13).  Outside  diagonal  braces 
are  sometimes  met  with  as  an 
ornamental  feature.  In  the  pro- 
vince of  Ise  one  often  sees  a brace 
or  bracket  made  out  of  an  un- 
hewn piece  of  timber,  generally 
the  proximal  portion  of  some  big 
branch.  This  is  fastened  to  an 

to  be  a 

brace  to  hold  up  the  end  of  a 
horizontal  beam  that  projects  be- 
yond the  eaves.  These  braces, 
however,  are  not  even  notched 

lettered,  and  the  dimensions  given  in  Japanese  feet  and  inches.  The  Japanese  foot  is, 
within  the  fraction  of  an  inch,  the  same  as  ours,  and  is  divided  into  ten  parts,  called  sun. 
The  wood  employed  in  the  frame  is  usually  cedar  or  pine.  The  corner  posts,  as  well  as 
the  other  large  upright  posts,  called  hashira  (//),  are  square,  and  five  sun  in  thickness; 
these  are  tenoned  into  the  plate  upon  which  they  rest.  This  plate  is  called  clo-dai  < I)) ; 
it  is  made  of  cedar,  and  sometimes  of  chestnut.  The  do-clai  is  six  sun  square,  and  rests 
directly  on  a number  of  stones,  which  are  called  do-dai-ishi  (B,  1).  Between  the  hashira 
come  smaller  uprights,  called  ma-bashira  (M)  ( hashira  changed  to  hashira  for  euphony); 
these  are  two  sun  square.  Through  these  pass  the  cross-pieces  called  nulci  ; these  are 
four  sun  wide  and  one  sun  thick.  To  these  are  attached  the  bamboo  slats  as  substitutes 
for  laths.  The  horizontal  beam  to  support  the  second- story  floor  is  called  the  nilcaibari 
( Ni );  this  is  of  pine,  with  a vertical  thickness  of  one  foot  two  sun,  and  a width  of  six 
tenths  of  a sun.  The  rafters  of  the  roof,  called  yane-shita  ( Ya ),  in  this  frame  are  nine  feet 
long,  three  sun  wide,  and  eight  tenths  of  a sun  in  thickness.  Cross-beams  ( T ),  from  the 
upper  plate  from  which  spring  posts  to  support  the  ridge-pole,  are  called  tarulci.  The 
first  floor  is  sustained  by  posts  that  rest  on  stones  embedded  in  the  ground,  as  well  as  by 
a beam  called  yuka-shita  (Yu);  this  is  secured  to  the  upright  beams  at  the  height  of 
one  and  one-half  or  two  feet  above  the  do-clai.  The  upper  floor -joists  are  of  pine,  two 
inches  square;  the  flooring  boards  are  six  tenths  of  a sun  in  thickness,  and  one  foot  wide. 
The  lower  floor-joists,  called  neda-maruta  (Ne),  are  rough  round  sticks,  three  sun  in 
diameter,  hewm  on  opposite  sides.  On  top  of  these  rest  pine  boards  six  tenths  of  a sun 
in  thickness. 


upright,  and  appears 


24  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


into  the  upright,  but  held  in  place  by  square  wooden  pins,  and  are 
of  little  use  as  a support  for  the  building,  though  answering  well 
to  hold  fishing-rods  and  other  long  poles,  which  find  here  con- 
venient lodgment  (fig.  14). 

In  the  village  of  Naruge,  in  Yamato,  I noticed  in  an  old  inn 
a diagonal  brace  which  made  a pleasing  ornamental  feature  to  a 

solid  frame-work,  upon  which 
rested  a ponderous  supplement- 
ary roof,  heavily  tiled.  As  the 
horizontal  beams  were  supported 
by  uprights  beyond  the  ends 
of  the  brackets,  no  additional 
strength  was  gained  by  these 
braces  in  question,  except  as  they 
might  prevent  fore  and  aft  dis- 
placement. They  were  placed 
here  solely  for  their  ornamental 
appearance ; or  at  least  that  was 
all  the  function  they  appeared  to 
perform  (fig.  15). 

Fig.  14. — Outside  Brace.  -The  frame-work  of  a building 

is  often  revealed  in  the  room  in 
a way  that  would  delight  the  heart  of  an  Eastlake.  Irregulari- 
ties in  the  form  of  a stick  are  not  looked  upon  as  a hindrance  in 
the  construction  of  a building.  From  the  way  such  crooked 
beams  are  brought  into  use,  one  is  led  to  believe  that  the  builder 
prefers  them.  The  desire  for  rustic  effects  leads  to  the  selection 
of  odd-shaped  timber.  Fig.  7 represents  the  end  of  a room, 
wherein  is  seen  a crooked  cross-piece  passing  through  a central 
upright,  which  sustains  the  ridge-pole. 

In  the  finish  of  the  rooms  great  care  is  shown  in  the  selection 
and  preparation  of  the  wood.  For  the  better  rooms  the  wood  is 


SELECTION  OF  STOCK. 


25 


selected  as  follows  : First,  a stick  of  timber  is  sawed  (fig.  16),  — 
the  central  piece  (A)  being  rejected  as  liable  to  split.  Second, 
in  the  round  upright  post 
that  in  most  instances 
forms  the  front  of  the 
shallow  partition  that  di- 
vides one  end  of  the  best 
room  into  two  bays  or  re- 
cesses, a deep  groove  is 
cut,  to  admit  the  edge  of 
g.  17).  By 
the  wood  is 
not  so  apt  to  check  or 
split. 

details  of  the 
room  will  be  described  in 
other  chapters.  It  may 
be  well  to  state  here,  how- 
ever, that  in  the  finish  of 
the  interior  the  daiku,  or  carpenter,  has  finished  his  work,  and  a 

new  set  of  workmen,  the 
sashi-mono-ya,  or  cabinet- 
makers, come  in,  — the 
rough  framing  and  similar 
work  being  done  by  the 
carpenter  proper.  Great 
care  is  taken  to  secure 
wood  that  matches  in 
grain  and  color ; and  this 
can  be  done  only  by  get- 
ting material  that  has  come  from  the  same  log.  In  the  lumber- 
yard  one  notices  boards  of  uniform  lengths  tied  up  in  bundles,  — 
in  fact  tied  up  in  precisely  the  same  position  that  the  wood 


Fig.  16. — Method  of  Cutting  Timber  for 
House-finish. 


the  partition  (fi 
this  treatment 


Fig.  15.  — Ornamental  Brace. 


26  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Fig.  17.  — Section  op  Post  Grooved 
for  Partition. 


occupied  in  the  trunk  before  it  was  sawed  into  boards  (fig.  18). 
So  with  other  wood  material,  — the  pieces  are  kept  together  in 
the  same  manner.  One  never  sees  in  a lumber-yard  a promis- 
cuous pile  of  boards,  but  each  log 
having  been  cut  into  boards  is  se- 
curely tied  without  displacement. 

As  the  rooms  are  made  in  sizes 
corresponding  to  the  number  of 
mats  they  are  to  contain,  the 
beams,  uprights,  rafters,  flooring- 
boards,  boards  for  the  ceiling,  and 
all  strips  are  got  out  in  sizes  to  accommodate  these  various 
dimensions.  The  dimensions  of  the  mats  from  one  end  of  the 
Empire  to  the  other  are  approximately  three  feet  wide  and  six 
feet  long ; and  these  are  fitted  compactly  on  the  floor.  The 
architect  marks  on 
his  plan  the  number 
of  mats  each  room 
is  to  contain,  — this 
number  defining  the 
size  of  the  room ; 
hence  the  lumber 
used  must  be  of  defi- 
nite lengths,  and  the 
carpenter  is  sure  to 
find  these  lengths  at 


Fig.  18.  — Bundle  of  Boards. 


the  lumber-yard.  It 

follows  from  this  that  but  little  waste  occurs  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a Japanese  house.  Far  different  is  it  with  us  in  our 
extravagant  and  senseless  methods  of  house-building.  In  our 
country,  a man  after  building  a wooden  house  finds  his  cellar 
and  shed  choked  to  repletion  with  the  waste  of  his  new  house, 
and  for  a year  or  more  at  least  has  the  grim  comfort  of  feeding 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  CEILING. 


27 


his  fireplaces  and  kitchen  stove  with  rough  and  finished  woods 
which  have  cost  him  at  the  rate  of  four  to  eight  cents  per  square 
foot ! 

The  ordinary  ceiling  in  a Japanese  house  consists  of  wide 
thin  boards,  with  their  edges  slightly  overlapping.  These  boards 
at  first  sight  appear  to  be  supported  by  narrow  strips  of  wood 
like  slender  beams,  upon  which  the  boards  rest  (fig.  96).  On 
reflection,  however,  it  soon  becomes  apparent  that  these  diminu- 


Fig.  19.  — Section  of  Ceiling. 


tive  cross-beams,  measuring  in  section  an  inch  square  or  less, 
are  altogether  inadequate  to  support  the  ceiling,  thin  and  light 
as  the  boards  composing  it  really  are.  As  one  examines  the 
ceiling,  he  finds  no  trace  of  pin  or  nail,  and  finally  comes 
to  wonder  how  the  strips  and  boards  are  held  in  place,  and 
why  the  whole  ceiling  does  not  sag.1  The  explanation  is  that 
the  strips  upon  which  the  boards  are  to  rest  are  first  stretched 
across  the  room  at  distances  apart  varying  from  ten  to  eighteen 

1 The  accompanying  sketches  will  illustrate  the  various  stages  iu  the  construotian  of 
the  ceiling. 


28  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


inches.  The  ends  of  these  strips  are  supported  by  a mouldin'' 
which  is  secured  to  the  uprights  of  the  wall.  In  cheap  houses 
this  moulding  in  section  is  angular ; notches  are  cut  in  the  up- 
rights, and  into  these  notches  the  sharp  edge  of  the  angular 
moulding  rests  and  is  secured  (fig.  19).  The  moulding  is  cut  in 
this  way  to  economize  material.  The  strips  having  been  adjusted, 


they  are  brought  to  a uniform  level,  but  crowning  slightly, — 
that  is,  the  centre  is  a little  higher  than  the  sides,  — and  are 
held  in  place  either  by  a long  board  being  placed  temporarily 
beneath  them,  and  propped  up  from  the  floor  below  ; or  else 
a long  stick  is  placed  beneath  them,  which  is  supported  by 
a stout  string  from  the  rafters  above  (fig.  20).  A low  staging 
is  then  erected  on  the  floor  (the  stud  of  the  room  rarely 
being  over  seven  or  eight  feet)  ; and  the  carpenter  standing 
between  the  cross-strips,  while  elevated  upon  the  staging,  adjusts 


CONSTRUCTION  OF  CEILING. 


29 


the  boards,  one  after  the  other,  as  they  are  passed  up  to  him. 
The  first  board  is  placed  against  the  wall,  its  edge  fitting  into 
a groove  in  the  uprights;  the  next  board  is  placed  with  its 
edge  on  the  first  board,  and  then  nailed  from  above,  with 
wooden  or  bamboo  pegs,  to  the  cross-strips.  Thus  it  is  that 
no  nail  or  peg  holes  appear  in  the  ceiling  from  below.  Board 
after  board  is  thus  placed  in  position,  each  board  lapping  slightly 
over  the  one  before  it,  and  each  in  turn  being  slightly  nailed 
to  the  strips.  Each  board  has  a deep  wide  groove  ploughed  out 
near  its  lapping  edge,  so  that  it  bends  very  readily,  and  is  thus 


Fig.  21.  — Method  op  Suspending  Ceiling  as  seen  prom  above. 


brought,  down  on  the  strip  below.  When  the  boards  are  carried 
in  this  manner  half  way  across  the  room,  a long,  narrow,  and 
thick  piece  of  wood,  say  six  feet  in  length,  is  placed  on  the  last 
board  laid,  within  an  inch  of  its  free  edge  and  parallel  to  it. 
This  piece  is  firmly  nailed  to  the  board  upon  which  it  rests,  and 
into  the  cross-strips  below.  To  the  edge  of  this  piece  two  or 
three  long  strips  of  wood  are  nailed  vertically,  the  upper  ends 
being  nailed  to  the  nearest  rafters  above.  In  this  way  is  the 
ceiling  suspended  (fig.  21).  After  this  has  been  done,  the  remain- 
ing boards  of  the  ceiling  are  placed  in  position  and  secured,  one 


30  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


after  another,  until  the  last  is  reached.  To  secure  the  last 
one  in  position  the  carpenter  gets  down  from  his  position  and 
adopts  other  methods.  One  method  is  to  place  this  hoard  on 

the  last  one  secured  and 
weight  it  with  a few 
heavy  stones,  and  then  it 
is  moved  along  from  be- 
low and  placed  in  position, 
where  it  remains  quite  as 
firm  as  if  it  had  been 
lightly  nailed  (fig.  22).  In 
case  there  is  a closet  in 
the  room  or  a recess,  the 
last  board  is  sawed  into 
two  or  three  lengths,  and  these  are  placed  in  position,  one  after 
another,  and  nailed  from  above  to  the  cross-strips,  — care  being 
taken  to  have  these  sections  come  directly  over  the  cross-strips, 
so  that  from  below  the  appearance  is  that  of  a continuous  board. 
The  sections  are  so 

arranged,  as  to  — ~xu<CT~S> 

length,  that  the  last 
piece  comes  in  the 

closet ; and  this  may 
either  be  weighted 
with  stones  or  left 

out  altogether  (fig.  Fig.  23.  — Ceiling-board  in  Closet. 

23). 

We  have  been  thus  explicit  in  describing  the  ceiling,  because 
so  few  even  among  the  Japanese  seem  to  understand  precisely 
the  manner  in  which  it  is  suspended. 

In  long  rooms  one  is  oftentimes  surprised  to  see  boards  of 
great  width  composing  the  ceiling,  and  apparently  continuous 
from  one  end  of  the  room  to  the  other.  What  appears  to  be  a 


PARTITIONS  AND  WALLS. 


o T 

O I 

single  board  is  in  fact  composed  of  a number  of  short  lengths. 
The  matching  of  the  grain  and  color  is  accomplished  by  taking 
two  adjacent  boards  in  a bundle  of  boards,  as  previously  figured 
and  described,  and  placing  them  so  that  the  same  ends  come 
together  (fig.  24),  — care  being  taken,  of  course,  to  have  the 
joints  come  directly  over  the  cross-pieces.  The  graining  of  the 
wood  becomes  continuous, 
each  line  of  the  grain  and 
the  color  beino;  of  course 
duplicated  and  matched  in 
the  other  board.  Some- 
times a number  of  lengths 
of  board  may  be  continued 
in  this  way,  and  yet  from 

Fig.  24.  — Method  of  removing  Boards  from 
below  the  appearance  is  Bundle  to  Preserve  Uniformity  of  Grain. 

that  of  a single  long  piece. 

The  advantage  of  keeping  all  the  boards  of  a given  log  in  juxta- 
position will  be  readily  understood.  In  our  country  a carpenter 
has  to  ransack  a lumber-yard  to  find  wood  of  a similar  grain 
and  color ; and  even  then  he  generally  fails  to  get  wood  of 
precisely  the  same  kind. 

The  permanent  partitions  within  the  house  are  made  in  vari- 
ous ways.  In  one  method,  bamboo  strips  of  various  lengths  take 
the  place  of  laths.  Small  bamboos  are  first  nailed  in  a vertical 
position  to  the  wooden  strips,  which  are  fastened  from  one  up- 
right to  another ; narrow  strips  of  bamboo  are  then  secured  across 
these  bamboos  by  means  of  coarse  cords  of  straw,  or  bark  fibre 
(fig.  4).  This  partition  is  not  unlike  our  own  plaster-and-lath  par- 
tition. Another  kind  of  partition  may  be  of  boards ; and  against 
these  small  bamboo  rods  are  nailed  quite  close  together,  and  upon 
this  the  plaster  is  put.  Considerable  pains  are  taken  as  to  the 
plastering.  The  plasterer  brings  to  the  house  samples  of  various- 


32  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

colored  sands  and  clays,  so  that  one  may  select  from  these  the 
color  of  his  wall.  A good  coat  of  plaster  comprises  three  layers. 
The  first  layer,  called  shita-nuri,  is  composed  of  mud,  in  which 
chopped  straw  is  mixed ; a second  layer,  called  cliu-nuri , of  rough 
lime,  mixed  with  mud ; the  third  layer,  called  uwa-nuri,  has  the 
colored  clay  or  sand  mixed  with  lime,  — and  this  last  layer  is* 
always  applied  by  a skilful  workman.  Other  methods  of  treating 
this  surface  will  be  given  in  the  chapter  on  interiors. 

Many  of  the  partitions  between  the  rooms  consist  entirely  of 
light  sliding  screens,  which  will  be  specially  described  farther  on. 
Often  two  or  more  sides  of  the  house  are  composed  entirely  of 
these  simple  and  frail  devices.  The  outside  permanent  walls  of  a 
house,  if  of  wood,  are  made  of  thin  boards  nailed  to  the  frame 
horizontally,  — as  we  lay  clapboards  on  our  houses.  These  may 
be  more  firmly  held  to  the  house  lay  long  strips  nailed  against 
the  boards  vertically.  The  boards  may  also  be  secured  to  the 
house  vertically,  and  weather-strips  nailed  over  the  seams,  — as  is 
commonly  the  way  with  certain  of  our  houses.  In  the  southern 
provinces  a rough  house-wall  is  made  of  wide  slabs  of  bark,  placed 
vertically,  and  held  in  place  by  thin  strips  of  bamboo  nailed 
cross-wise.  This  style  is  common  among  the  poorer  houses  in 
Japan  ; and,  indeed,  in  the  better  class  of  houses  it  is  often  used 
as  an  ornamental  feature,  placed  at  the  height  of  a few  feet 
from  the  ground. 

Outside  plastered  walls  are  also  very  common,  though  not  of  a 
durable  nature.  This  kind  of  wall  is  frequently  seen  in  a dilapi- 
dated condition.  In  Japanese  picture-books  this  broken  condition 
is  often  shown,  with  the  bamboo  slats  exposed,  as  a suggestion  of 
poverty. 

In  the  cities,  the  outside  walls  of  more  durable  structures,  such 
as  warehouses,  are  not  infrequently  covered  with  square  tiles,  a 
board  wall  being  first  made,  to  which  the  tiles  are  secured  by 
being  nailed  at  their  corners.  These  may  be  placed  in  diagonal 


STRUCTURE  OF  KURA. 


33 


or  horizontal  rows,  — in  either  case  an  interspace  of  a quarter  of 
an  inch  being  left  between  the  tiles,  and  the  seams  closed  with 
white  plaster,  spreading  on  each  side  to  the  width  of  an  inch  or 
more,  and  finished  with  a rounded  surface.  This  work  is  done 
in  a very  tasteful  and  artistic  manner,  and  the  effect  of  the  dark- 
gray  tiles  crossed  by 
these  white  bars  of 
plaster  is  very  strik- 
ing (fig.  25). 


buildings, 


As  the  fire-proof 
or  kura, 
are  often  used  as 
dwelling  - places,  a 
brief  mention  of 
their  structure  may 
be  proper  here. 

These  buildings  are 
specially  designed 
for  fire-proof  store- 
houses. They  are 
generally  two  stories 
in  height,  with  walls 
eighteen  inches  to 
two  feet  or  more  in 
thickness,  composed 
of  mud  plastered  on 

to  a frame-work  of  great  strength  and  solidity.  The  beams  are 
closely  notched,  and  bound  with  a coarse-fibred  rope ; and  small 
bamboos  are  closely  secured  to  the  beams.  Short  coarse-fibred 
ropes,  a foot  in  length,  are  secured  in  close  rows  to  the  cross- 
beams and  uprights.  All  these  preparations  are  made  for  the 
purpose  of  more  securely  holding  the  successive  layers  of  mud 

3 


Pig.  25.  — Arrangement  of  Square  Tiles  on  Side  of 
House. 


34  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

to  be  applied.  As  a preliminary  to  this  work  a huge  and  ample 
staging  is  erected  to  completely  envelop  the  building.  The  staging, 
indeed,  forms  a huge  cage,  and  upon  this  straw  mattings  are  hung 
so  that  the  mud  plastering  shall  not  dry  too  quickly.  This  cage 
is  sufficiently  ample  to  allow  the  men  to  work  freely  around 
and  beneath  it.  Layer  after  layer  is  applied,  and  a long  time 
elapses  between  these  applications,  in  order  that  each  layer  may 
dry  properly.  Two  years  or  more  are  required  in  the  proper 
construction  of  one  of  these  fire-proof  buildings.  The  walls 
having  been  finished,  a coat  of  plaster,  or  a plaster  mixed  with 
lamp-black,  is  applied,  and  a fine  polished  surface,  like  black 
lacquer,  is  produced.  This  polished  black  surface  is  made  by 
first  rubbing  with  a cloth,  then  with  silk,  and  finally  with 
the  hand. 

A newly-finished  Jcura  presents  a remarkably  solid  and  im- 
posing appearance.  The  roofs  are  of  immense  thickness,  with 
enormous  ridges  ornamented  with  artistic  designs  in  stucco,  and 
the  ridges  terminating  with  ornamental  tiles  in  high-relief.  The 
fine  polish  of  these  buildings  soon  becomes  impaired,  and  they 
finally  assume  a dull  black  or  slaty  color ; sometimes  a coat  of 
white  plaster  is  applied.  Upon  the  outside  of  the  wall  a series  of 
long  iron  hooks  are  seen ; these  are  to  hold  an  adjustable  wooden 
casing  which  is  often  used  to  cover  the  walls,  and  thus  to  protect 
them  from  the  eroding  action  of  the  elements.  These  wooden 
casings  are  placed  against  the  buildings,  proper  openings  being 
left  through  which  the  iron  hooks  project,  and  long  slender  bars 
of  wood  stretch  across  the  wall,  held  in  place  by  the  upturned 
ends  of  the  iron  hooks,  and  in  turn  holding  the  wooden  casing 
in  place. 

The  windows  of  the  buildings  are  small,  and  each  is  closed 
either  by  a sliding-door  of  great  thickness  and  solidity,  or  b}^ 
double-shutters  swinging  together.  The  edges  of  these  shutters 
have  a series  of  rabbets,  or  steps,  precisely  like  those  seen 


JAPANESE  CARPENTERS. 


35 


in  the  heavy  doors  of  a bank-safe.  At  the  time  of  a fire, 
additional  precautions  are  taken  by  stopping  up  the  chinks  of 
these  closed  shutters  with  mud,  which  is  always  at  hand,  ready 
mixed  for  such  an  emergency.  These  buildings,  when  properly 
constructed,  seem  to  answer  their  purpose  admirably ; and  after 
a conflagration,  when  all  the  surrounding  territory  is  absolutely 
flat,  — for  there  are  no  tottering  chimneys  or  cavernous  cellars- 
and  walls  to  be  seen,  as  with  us, — these  black,  grimy  kura  stand 
conspicuous  in  the  general  ruin.  They  do  not  all  survive, 
however,  as  smoke  is  often  seen  issuing  from  some  of  them, 
indicating  that,  as  in  our  own  country,  safes  are  not  always 
fire-proof. 

A somewhat  extended  experience  with  the  common  every- 
day carpenter  at  home  leads  me  to  say,  without  fear  of  con- 
tradiction, that  in  matters  pertaining  to  their  craft  the  Japanese 
carpenters  are  superior  to  American.  Not  only  do  they  show 
their  superiority  in  their  work,  but  in  their  versatile  ability  in 
making  new  things.  One  is  amazed  to  see  how  patiently  a Japan- 
ese carpenter  or  cabinet-maker  will  struggle  over  plans,  not  only 
drawn  in  ways  new  and  strange  to  him,  but  of  objects  equally 
new,  — and  struggle  successfully.  It  is  a notorious  fact  that  most 
of  the  carpenters  in  our  smaller  towns  and  villages  are  utterly 
incompetent  to  carry  out  any  special  demand  made  upon  them, 
outside  the  building  of  the  conventional  two-storied  house  and 
ordinary  roof.  They  stand  bewildered  in  the  presence  of  a 
window-projection  or  cornice  outside  the  prescribed  ruts  with 
which  they  and  their  fathers  were  familiar.  Indeed,  in  most 
cases  their  fathers  were  not  carpenters,  nor  will  their  children 
be ; and  herein  alone  the  Japanese  carpenter  has  an  immense 
advantage  over  the  American,  for  his  trade,  as  well  as  other 
trades,  have  been  perpetuated  through  generations  of  families. 
The  little  children  have  been  brought  up  amidst  the  odor  of 


36  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIE  SURROUNDINGS. 


fragrant  shavings,  — have  with  childish  hands  performed  the 
duties  of  an  adjustable  vise  or  clamp  ; and  with  the  same  tools 
which  when  children  they  have  handed  to  their  fathers,  they 
have  in  later  days  earned  their  daily  rice. 

When  I see  one  of  our  carpenters’  ponderous  tool-chests, 
made  of  polished  woods,  inlaid  with  brass  decorations,  and 
filled  to  repletion  with  several  hundred  dollars’  worth  of  highly 
polished  and  elaborate  machine-made  implements,  and  contem- 
plate the  work  often  done  with  them,  — with  everything  binding 
that  should  go  loose,  and  everything  rattling  that  should  be 
tight,  and  much  work  that  has  to  be  done  twice  over,  with  an 
indication  everywhere  of  a poverty  of  ideas,  — and  then  recall 
the  Japanese  carpenter  with  his  ridiculously  light  and  flimsy 
tool-box  containing  a meagre  assortment  of  rude  and  primitive 
tools,  — considering  the  carpentry  of  the  two"  people,  1 am 
forced  to  the  conviction  that  civilization  and  modern  appliances 
count  as  nothing  unless  accompanied  with  a moiety  of  brains 
and  some  little  taste  and  wit. 

It  is  a very  serious  fact  that  now-a-days  no  one  in  our  country 
is  acquiring  faithfully  the  carpenter’s  trade.  Much  of  this  la- 
mentable condition  of  things  is  no  doubt  due  to  the  fact  that 
machine-work  has  supplanted  the  hand-work  of  former  times.1 
Doors,  blinds,  sashes,  mouldings  are  now  turned  out  by  the  cord 
and  mile,  and  all  done  in  such  greedy  haste,  and  with  the  green- 
est of  lumber,  that  if  it  does  not  tumble  to  pieces  in  transporta- 
tion it  is  sure  to  do  so  very  soon  after  entering  into  the  house- 
structure.  Nevertheless,  the  miserable  truth  yet  remains  that  any 
man  who  has  nailed  up  a few  boxes,  or  stood  in  front  of  a circular 

1 General  Francis  A.  Walker,  in  his  Lowell  Lectures  on  the  United  States  Census 
for  1880,  shows  that  carpenters  constitute  the  largest  single  body  of  artisans  working  for 
the  supply  of  local  wants.  He  shows  that  the  increase  of  this  body  from  decade  to  decade 
is  far  behind  what  it  should  he  if  it  increased  in  the  ratio  of  the  population ; and  though 
this  fact  might  excite  surprise,  he  shows  that  it  is  due  to  the  enormous  increase  in  machine- 
made  material,  such  as  doors,  sashes,  blinds,  etc. ; in  other  words,  to  the  making  of  those 
parts  which  in  former  times  trained  a man  in  delicate  work  and  accurate  joinery. 


CARPENTERS’  TOOLS  AND  APPLIANCES. 


37 

saw  for  a few  months,  feels  competent  to  exercise  all  the  duties  of 
that  most  honorable  craft,  — the  building  of  a house.1 

It  may  be  interesting,  in  this  connection,  to  mention  a few  of 
the  principal  tools  one  commonly  sees  in  use  among  the  Japanese 
carpenters.  After  having  seen  the  good  and  serviceable  carpen- 
try, the  perfect  joints  and  complex  mortises,  done  by  good  Jap- 
anese workmen,  one  is  astonished  to  find  that  they  do  their  work 
without  the  aid  of  certain  appliances  considered  indispensable  by 
similar  craftsmen  in  our  country.  They  have  no  bench,  no  vise, 
no  spirit-level,  and  no  hit-stock;  and  as  for  labor-saving  ma- 
chinery, they  have  absolutely  nothing.  With  many  places  which 
could  be  utilized  for  water-power,  the  old  country  saw-mill  has 
not  occurred  to  them.2  Their  tools  appear  to  be  roughly  made, 
and  of  primitive  design,  though  evidently  of  the  best-tempered 
steel.  The  only  substitute  for  the  carpenter’s  bench  is  a plank 

1 There  is  no  question  but  that  in  England  apprentices  serve  their  time  at  trades 
more  faithfully  than  with,  us ; nevertheless,  the  complaints  that  go  up  in  the  English 
press  in  regard  to  poor  and  slovenly  work  show  the  existence  of  a similar  class  of  im- 
postors, who  defraud  the  public  by  claiming  to  be  what  they  are  not.  The  erratic  Charles 
Reade,  in  a series  of  letters  addressed  to  the  “ Pall  Mall  Gazette,”  on  builders’  blunders, 
inveighs  against  the  British  workmen  as  follows:  “ When  last  seen,  I was  standing  on 
the  first  floor  of  the  thing  they  call  a house,  with  a blunder  under  my  feet,  — unvarnished, 
unjoined  boards ; and  a blunder  over  my  head, — the  oppressive,  glaring  plaster-ceiling, 
full  of  the  inevitable  cracks,  and  foul  with  the  smoke  of  only  three  months’  gas.” 

In  regard  to  sash  windows,  he  says  : “ This  room  is  lighted  by  what  may  be  defined 
‘ the  unscientific  window.’  Here,  in  this  single  structure,  you  may  see  most  of  the  intel- 
lectual vices  that  mark  the  unscientific  mind.  The  scientific  way  is  always  the  simple 
way ; so  here  you  have  complication  on  complication,  — one  half  the  window  is  to  go  up, 
the  other  half  is  to  come  down.  The  maker  of  it  goes  out  of  his  way  to  struggle  with 
Nature’s  laws;  he  grapples  insanely  with  gravitation,  and  therefore  he  must  use  cords 
and  weights  and  pulleys,  and  build  boxes  to  hide  them  in.  He  is  a great  hider.  His 
wooden  frames  move  up  and  down  wooden  grooves,  open  to  atmospheric  influence. 
\\  hat  is  the  consequence?  The  atmosphere  becomes  humid;  the  wooden  frame  sticks  in 
the  wooden  box,  and  the  unscientific  window  is  jammed.  What,  ho ! Send  for  the 
Curse  of  Families,  the  British  workman!  On  one  of  the  cords  breaking  (they  are 
always  breaking),  send  for  the  Curse  of  Families  to  patch  the  blunder  of  the 
unscientific  builder.” 

2 A Government  bureau  called  the  Kaitakushi,  now  fortunately  extinct,  established 
in  Yezo,  the  seat  of  its  labors,  one  or  two  saw-mills;  but  whether  they  are  still  at  work 
I do  not  know. 


38  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS . 


on  the  floor,  or  on  two  horses ; a square,  firm,  upright  post  is 
the  nearest  approach  to  a bench  and  vise,  for  to  this  beam  a 
block  of  wood  to  be  sawed  into  pieces  is  firmly  held  (fig.  2G). 
A big  wooden  wedge  is  bound  firmly  to  the  post  with  a stout 
rope,  and  this  driven  down  with  vig- 
orous blows  till  it  pinches  the  block 
which  is  to  be  cut  into  the  desired  pro- 
portions. 

In  using  many  of  the  tools,  the  Jap- 
anese carpenter  handles  them  quite  dif- 
ferently from  our  workman  ; for  instance, 
he  draws  the  plane  towards  him  instead 
of  pushing  it  from  him.  The  planes  are 
very  rude-looking  implements.  Their 
bodies,  instead  of  being  thick  blocks 
of  wood,  are  quite  wide  and  thin 
(fig.  27,  -D,  E ),  and  the  blades  are 
inclined  at  a greater  angle  than  the 
blade  in  our  plane. 

In  some  planes,  how- 
ever, the  blade  stands 
vertical ; this  is  used 
in  lieu  of  the  steel 
scrapers  in  giving 
wood  a smooth  fin- 
ish, and  might  he  Fig.  26.  — A Japanese  Carpenter’s  Vise. 

used  with  advantage 

by  our  carpenters  as  a substitute  for  the  piece  of  glass  or  thin 
plate  of  steel  with  which  they  usually  scrape  the  surface  of  the 
wood.  A huge  plane  is  often  seen,  five  or  six  feet  long.  This 
plane,  however,  is  fixed  in  an  inclined  position,  upside  down ; 
that  is,  with  the  blade  uppermost.  The  board,  or  piece  to  be 
planed,  is  moved  back  and  forth  upon  it. 


CARPENTERS’  TOOLS  AND  APPLIANCES. 


39 


Draw-shaves  are  in  common  use.  The  saws  are  of  various 
kinds,  with  teeth  much  longer  than  those  of  our  saws,  and 
cut  in  different  ways.  Some  of  these  forms  reminded  me  of 
the  teeth  seen  in  certain  recently  patented  saws  in  the  United 
States.  Some  saws  have  teeth  on  the  back  as  well  as  on 
the  front,  one  edge  being  used  as  a cross-cut  saw  (fig.  27  B,  C). 
The  hand-saw,  instead  of  having  the  curious  loop-shaped  handle 
made  to  accommodate  only  one  hand  as  with  us,  has  a simple 


D E 

Fig.  27- — Carpenters’  Tools  in  Common  Use. 


straight  cylindrical  handle  as  long  as  the  saw  itself,  and  some- 
times longer.  Our  carpenters  engage  one  hand  in  holding 
the  stick  to  be  sawed,  while  driving  the  saw  with  the  other 
hand  ; the  Japanese  carpenter,  on  the  contrary,  holds  the  piece 
with  his  foot,  and  stooping  over,  with  his  two  hands  drives 
the  saw  by  quick  and  rapid  cuts  through  the  wood.  This  style 
of  working  and  doing  many  other  things  could  never  he  adopted 
in  this  country  without  an  importation  of  Japanese  backs.  It 
was  an  extraordinary  sight  to  see  the  attitudes  these  people 


40  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


assumed  in  doing  work  of  various  kinds.  A servant  girl,  for 
example,  in  wiping  up  the  floor  or  verandah  with  a wet  cloth, 
does  not  get  down  on  her  knees  to  do  her  work,  but  bending 
over  while  still  on  her  feet,  she  pushes  the  cloth  hack  and  forth, 
and  thus  in  this  trying  position  performs  her  task. 

The  adze  is  provided  with  a rough  handle  bending  consider- 
ably at  the  lower  end,  not  unlike  a hockey-stick  (fig.  27,  A). 
In  summer  the  carpenters  work  with  the  scantiest  clothing 
possible,  and  nearly  always  barefooted.  It  is  a startling  sight 
to  a nervous  man  to  see  a carpenter  standing  on  a stick  of 
timber,  hacking  away  in  a furious  manner  with  this  crooked- 
handled  instrument  having  an  edge  as  sharp  as  a razor,  and 
taking  off  great  chips  of  the  wood  within  an  inch  of  his  naked 
toes.  Never  having  ourselves  seen  a toeless  carpenter,  or  one 
whose  feet  showed  the  slightest  indication  of  his  ever  having 
missed  the  mark,  we  regarded  as  good  evidence  of  the  unerring 
accuracy  with  which  they  use  this  serviceable  tool. 

For  drilling  holes  a very  long-handled  awl  is  used.  The 
carpenter  seizing  the  handle  at  the  end,  between  the  palms  of 
his  hands,  and  moving  his  hands  rapidly  back  and  forth,  pushing 
down  at  the  same  time,  the  awl  is  made  rapidly  to  rotate  back 
and  forth  ; as  his  hands  gradually  slip  down  on  the  handle  he 
quickly  seizes  it  at  the  upper  end  again,  continuing  the  motion 
as  before.  One  is  astonished  to  see  how  rapidly  holes  are  drilled 
in  this  simple,  yet  effective  way.  For  large  holes,  augers  similar 
to  ours  are  used.  Their  chisel  is  also  much  like  ours  in  shape. 
For  nailing  in  places  above  the  easy  reach  of  both  hands  they  use 
a hammer,  one  end  of  which  is  prolonged  to  a point ; holding, 
then,  a nail  between  the  thumb  and  finger  with  the  hammer 
grasped  in  the  same  hand,  a hole  is  made  in  the  wood  with  the 
pointed  end  of  the  hammer,  the  nail  inserted  and  driven  in. 

A portable  nail-box  is  used  in  the  shape  of  a round  basket, 
to  which  is  attached  a short  cord  with  a button  of  wood  or 


CARPENTERS 1 TOOLS  AND  APPLIANCES. 


41 


bamboo  at  the  end ; this  is  suspended  from  a sash  or  cord  that 
encircles  the  waist  (fig.  28).  The  sliingler’s  nail-box  has  the 
bottom  prolonged  and  perforated,  so  that 
it  may  be  temporarily  nailed  to  the  roof 
(fig.  64). 

There  are  three  implements  of  the 

Japanese  carpenter  which  are  inseparable 

companions  ; these  are  the  magari-gane, 

sumi-sasTii,  and  sumi-tsubo.  The  mctgari- 

gane  is  an  iron  square  rather  narrower 

than  our  square.  The  sumi-sashi  is  a 

double-ended  brush  made  out  of  fibrous 

wood,  rounded  at  one  end,  and  having 

a wide  sharp  edge  at  the  other  (fig.  29). 

has  with  him  a box  containing  cotton  saturated  with  ink ; by 

means  of  the  sumi-saslii  and 

ink  the  carpenter  can  mark 

characters  and  signs  with  the 

rounded  end,  or  fine  black 
Fig.  29. — A Carpenter’s  Marking-brush  . 

made  OP  Wood.  Imes  with  the  sharp  edge. 

One  advantage  attending 

this  kind  of  a brush  is  that  the  carpenter  can  make  one  at 

a moment’s  notice.  The  sumi-tsubo  (fig.  30,  A,  B)  is  the 

substitute  for  our  carpenter’s  chalk-line ; it  is  made  of  wood, 

often  curiously  wrought,  having  at  one  end  a cavity  scooped 

out  and  filled  with  cotton  saturated  with  ink,  and  the  other 

end  has  a reel  with  a little  crank.  Upon  the  reel  is  wound 

a long  cord,  the  free  end  of  which  passes  through  the  cotton 

and  out  through  a hole  at  the  end  of  the  instrument.  To 

the  end  of  the  cord  is  secured  an  object  resembling  an  awl. 

To  make  a line  on  a plank  or  board  the  awl  is  driven  into 

the  wood,  the  cord  is  unreeled,  and  in  this  act  it  becomes 

blackened  with  ink ; by  snapping  the  cord  in  the  usual  way, 


The  carpenter  always 


42  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

a clear  black  line  is  left  upon  the  surface  of  the  wood.  It 
is  then  quickly  reeled  up  again  by  means  of  a little  crank. 
This  instrument  is  an  improvement  in  every  way  over  the 

chalk-line,  as  it  is  more  convenient, 
and  by  its  use  a clear  black  line  is 
left  upon  the  wood,  instead  of  the 
dim  chalk-line  which  is  so  easily 
effaced.  This  implement  is  often 
used  as  a plumb-line  by  giving  a 
turn  to  the  cord  about  the  handle, 
thus  holding  it  firmly,  and  suspend- 
ing the  instrument  by  means  of  the 
awl. 

A plumb-line  is  made  with  a 
strip  of  wood  four  or  five  feet  in 
length,  to  each  end 
nailed,  at  right  angles,  a strip  of  wood  four  or  five 
inches  long,  projecting  an  inch  on  one  side.  These 
two  transverse  strips  are  of  exactly  the  same  length, 
and  are  so  adjusted  to  the  longer  strip  as  to 
project  the  same  distance.  From  the  longer  arm 
of  one  of  these  pieces  is  suspended  a cord  with  a 
weight  at  the  lower  end.  In  plumbing  a wall,  the 
short  ends  of  the  transverse  pieces  are  brought 
against  the  wall  or  portion  to  be  levelled,  and  an 
adjustment  is  made  till  the  cord  just  touches  the 
edge  of  the  lower  arm.  The  accompanying  sketch 
(fig.  31)  will  make  clear  the  appearance  and  method 
of  using  this  simple  device. 

In  gluing  pieces  of  wood  together,  more  espe- 
cially veneers,  the  Japanese  resort  to  a device  which 
is  common  with  American  cabinet-makers,  — of 
bringing  into  play  a number  of  elastic  or  bamboo  rods,  one  end 


of  which  is 


1 

1 

J 

1 

1 

- 

1 

1 , 

Fig.  31. 
The  Japanese 
Plumb-line. 


Fig.  30.  — The  Sumi-tsubo. 


CARPENTERS’  TOOLS  AND  APPLIANCES. 


43 


coming  against  a firm  ceiling  or  support,  and  the  other  end 
pressing  on  the  wood  to  be  united.  In  polishing  and  grinding, 
the  same  device  is  used  in  getting  pressure. 

This  necessarily  brief  description  is  not  to  be  regarded  in  any 
way  as  a catalogue  of  Japanese  carpenters’  tools,  but  is  intended 
simply  to  describe  those  more  commonly  seen  as  one  watches 
them  at  their  work.  The  chief  merit  of  many  of  these  tools 
is  that  they  can  easily  be  made  by  the  users ; indeed,  with 
the  exception  of  the  iron  part,  every  Japanese  carpenter  can 
and  often  does  make  his  own  tools. 

By  an  examination  of  old  books  and  pictures  one  gets  an  idea 
of  the  antiquity  of  many  objects  still  in  use  in  Japan.  I was 
shown,  at  the  house  of  a Jap- 
anese antiquary,  a copy  of  a 
very  old  maki-mono  (a  long  scroll 
of  paper  rolled  up  like  a roll  of 
wall-paper,  on  which  continuous 
stories  or  historical  events  are 
written  or  painted).  This  maki- 
mono  in  question  was  painted  by 
Takakana,  of  Kioto,  five  hundred 
and  seventy  years  ago,  and  rep- 
resented the  building  of  a temple, 

from  the  preliminary  exercises  Fl0. 32.  _ ancient  cakpbntee.  (Cor- 
to  its  completion.  One  sketch  IED  from  an  Old  Painting.) 

showed  the  carpenters  at  work 

hewing  out  the  wood  and  making  the  frame.  There  were  many 
men  at  work ; a few  were  eating  and  drinking ; tools  were  l}’ing 
about.  In  all  the  tools  represented  in  the  picture,  — of  which 
there  were  chisels,  mallets,  hatchets,  adzes,  squares,  and  saws.  — 
there  was  no  plane  or  long  saw.  A piece  of  timber  was  being 
cut  longitudinally  with  a chisel.  The  square  was  the  same  as 
that  in  use  to-day.  The  tool  which  seemed  to  take  the  place  of  a 


44  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS . 


plane  was  similar  to  a tool  still  used  by  coopers,  but  I believe  by 
no  other  class  of  workmen,  though  I remember  to  have  seen  a 
man  and  a boy  engaged  in  stripping  bark  from  a long  pole  with 
a tool  similar  to  the  one  seen  in  the  sketch  (fig.  32). 

1 he  sumi-tsubo  was  much  more  simple  and  primitive  in  form 
in  those  times,  judging  from  the  sketch  given  on  page  42 
(fig.  30,  C).  A carpenter’s  tool-box  is  shown  quite  as  small 
and  light  as  similar  boxes  in  use  to-day.  To  the  cover  of  this 
box  (fig.  32)  is  attached  a curious  hand-saw  with  a curved  edge. 
Large  saws  with  curved  edges,  having  handles  at  both  ends, 
to  be  worked  by  two  men,  are  in  common  use ; but  I have  never 
seen  a hand-saw  of  this  shape.  All  the  saws  represented  in  the 
picture  had  the  same  curved  edge. 

Nothing  is  more  to  be  commended  than  the  strong,  durable, 
and  sensible  way  in  which  the  Japanese  carpenter  erects  his 
staging.  The  various  parts  of  a staging  are  never  nailed  to- 
gether, as  this  would  not  only  weaken  the  pieces  through  which 
spikes  and  nails  have  been  driven,  but  gradually  impair  its  in- 
tegrity. All  the  pieces,  upright  and  transverse,  are  firmly  tied 
together  with  tough,  strong  rope.  The  rope  is  wound  about, 
again  and  again,  in  the  tightest  possible  manner.  Buddhist  tem- 
ples of  lofty  proportions  are  reared  and  finished,  and  yet  one 
never  hears  of  the  frightful  accidents  that  so  often  occur  at  home 
as  the  results  of  stagings  giving  way  in  the  erection  of  similar 
lofty  structures.  How  exceedingly  dull  and  stupid  it  must  appear 
to  a Japanese  carpenter  when  he  learns  that  his  Christian  brother 
constructs  a staging  that  is  liable,  sooner  or  later,  to  precipitate 
him  to  the  ground. 


CHAPTER  II. 


TYPES  OF  HOUSES. 


City  and  Country  Houses.  — Fishermen’s  Houses.  — Kura.  — A Study  oe  Roofs. — 
Shingled  Roofs.  — Tiled  Roofs.  — Stone  Roofs.  — Thatched  Roofs. 


RITERS  on  Japan  have  often  commented  upon  the  absence 


of  any  grand  or  imposing  architectural  edifices  in  that 
country ; and  they  have  offered  in  explanation,  that  in  a country 
shaken  by  frequent  earthquakes  no  stately  structures  or  build- 
ings of  lofty  proportions  can  endure.  Nevertheless,  many  such 
structures  do  exist,  and  have  existed  for  centuries,  — as  witness 
the  old  temples  and  lofty  pagodas,  and  also  the  castles  of  the 
Daimios,  notably  the  ones  at  Kumamoto  and  Nagoya.  If  the 
truth  were  known,  it  would  be  found  that  revolution  and  re- 
bellion have  been  among  the  principal  destructive  agencies  in 
nearly  obliterating  whatever  may  have  once  existed  of  grand 
architectural  structures  in  Japan. 

Aime  Humbert  finds  much  to  admire  in  the  castles  of  the 
Daimios,  and  says,  with  truth : “ In  general,  richness  of  detail  is 
less  aimed  at  than  the  general  effect  resulting  from  the  grandeur 
and  harmony  of  the  proportions  of  the  buildings.  In  this  respect 
some  of  the  seigniorial  residences  of  Japan  deserve  to  figure 
among  the  architectural  monuments  of  Eastern  Asia.” 

In  regard  to  the  architecture  of  Japan,  as  to  other  matters, 
one  must  put  himself  in  an  attitude  of  sympathy  with  her  peo- 
ple, or  at  least  he  must  become  awakened  to  a sympathetic 
appreciation  of  their  work  and  the  conditions  under  which  it 


46  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


has  arisen.  Above  all,  he  must  rid  himself  of  all  preconceived 
ideas  as  to  what  a house  should  be,  and  judge  the  work  of 
a Japanese  builder  solely  from  the  Japanese  stand-point.  Archi- 
tectural edifices,  such  as  we  recognize  as  architectural,  do  not 
exist  outside  her  temples  and  castles.  Some  reason  for  this 
condition  of  things  may  be  looked  for  in  the  fact  that  the  vast 
majority  of  the  Japanese  are  poor,  — very  poor ; and  further,  in 
the  fact  that  the  idea  of  co-operative  buildings,  with  the  exception 
of  the  Yasliiki  barracks,  has  never  entered  a Japanese  mind,  — 
each  family,  with  few  exceptions,  managing  to  have  a house  of  its 
own.  As  a result  of  this,  a vast  number  of  the  houses  are  shel- 
ters merely,  and  are  such  from  necessity  ; though  even  among 
these  poorer  shelters  little  bits  of  temple  architecture  creep  in,  — 
quite  as  scanty,  however,  in  that  respect  as  are  similar  features  in 
our  two-storied  wooden  boxes  at  home,  which  may  have  a bit  of 
Grecian  suggestion  in  the  window  caps,  or  of  Doric  in  the  front 
door-posts. 

In  considering  the  temples  of  the  Japanese,  moreover,  one 
should  take  into  account  their  methods  of  worship,  and  precisely 
what  use  the  worshippers  make  of  these  remarkable  edifices.  And 
so  with  intelligent  sympathy  finally  aroused  in  all  these  matters, 
they  begin  to  wear  a new  aspect ; and  what  appeared  grotesque 
and  unmeaning  before,  now  becomes  full  of  significance  and  beauty. 
We  see  that  there  is  something  truly  majestic  in  the  appearance 
of  the  broad  and  massive  temples,  with  the  grand  upward  sweep 
of  their  heavily-tiled  roofs  and  deep-shaded  eaves,  with  intricate 
maze  of  supports  and  carvings  beneath ; the  whole  sustained  on 
colossal  round  posts  locked  and  tied  together  by  equally  massive 
timbers.  Certainly,  to  a Japanese  the  effect  must  be  inspiring 
beyond  description  ; and  the  contrast  between  these  structures 
and  the  tiny  and  perishable  dwellings  that  surround  them  ren- 
ders the  former  all  the  more  grand  and  impressive.  Foreigners, 
though  familiar  with  the  cathedral  architecture  of  Europe,  must 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


47 


yet  see  much  to  admire  in  these  buildings.  Even  in  the  smaller 
towns  and  villages,  where  one  might  least  expect  to  find  such 
structures,  the  traveller  sometimes  encounters  these  stately  edi- 
fices. Their  surroundings  are  invariably  picturesque ; no  sterile 
lot,  or  worthless  sand-hill  outside  the  village,  will  suit  these  sim- 
ple people,  but  the  most  charming  and  beautiful  place  is  always 
selected  as  a site  for  their  temples  of  worship. 

Whatever  may  be  said  regarding  the  architecture  of  Japan, 
the  foreigner,  at  least,  finds  it  difficult  to  recognize  any  distinct 
types  of  architecture  among  the  houses,  or  to  distinguish  any 
radical  differences  in  the  various  kinds  of  dwellings  he  sees 
in  his  travels  through  the  country.  It  may  be  possible  that 
these  exist,  for  one  soon  gets  to  recognize  the  differences  between 
the  ancient  and  modern  bouse.  There  are  also  marked  differences 
between  the  compact  house  of  the  merchant  in  the  city  and  the 
country  house ; but  as  for  special  types  of  architecture  that  would 
parallel  the  different  styles  found  in  our  country,  there  are  none. 
Everywhere  one  notices  minor  details  of  finish  and  ornament 
which  he  sees  more  fully  developed  in  the  temple  architecture, 
and  which  is  evidently  derived  from  this  source ; and  if  it  can  be 
shown,  as  it  unquestionably  can,  that  these  features  were  brought 
into  the  country  by  the  priests  who  brought  one  of  the  two 
great  religions,  then  we  can  trace  many  features  of  architectural 
detail  to  their  home,  and  to  the  avenues  through  which  they 
came. 

In  connection  with  the  statement  just  made,  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  recognize  any  special  types  of  architecture  in  Japanese 
dwellings,  it  may  be  interesting  to  mention  that  we  found  it 
impossible  to  get  books  in  their  language  treating  of  house 
architecture.  Doubtless  books  of  this  nature  exist,  — indeed, 
they  must  exist ; but  though  the  writer  had  a Japanese  book- 
seller, and  a number  of  intelligent  friends  among  the  Japanese, 
looking  for  such  books,  he  never  had  the  good  fortune  to 


48  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


secure  any.  Books  in  abundance  can  be  got  treating  of  temple- 
architecture,  from  the  plans  of  the  framing  to  the  completed 
structure ; also  of  kura,  or  go-downs,  gateways,  tori-i,  etc.  Plans 
of  buildings  for  their  tea-ceremonies,  and  endless  designs  for 
the  inside  finish  of  a house,  — the  recesses,  book-shelves,  screens, 
and  indeed  all  the  delicate  cabinet-work,  — are  easily  obtain- 
able ; but  a book  which  shall  show  the  plans  and  elevations 
of  the  ordinary  dwelling  the  writer  has  never  yet  seen.  A 
number  of  friends  have  given  him  the  plans  of  their  houses 
as  made  by  the  carpenter,  but  there  were  no  elevations  or 
details  of  outside  finish  represented.  It  would  seem  as  if,  for 
the  ordinary  houses  at  least,  it  were  only  necessary  to  detail 
in  plan  the  number  and  size  of  the  rooms,  leaving  the  rest  of 
the  structure  to  be  completed  in  any  way  by  the  carpenter,  so 
long  as  he  contrived  to  keep  the  rain  out. 

If  there  is  no  attempt  at  architectural  display  in  the  dwelling- 
houses  of  Japan  the  traveller  is  at  least  spared  those  miserable 
experiences  he  so  often  encounters  in  his  own  country,  where- 
to a few  houses  of  good  taste  he  is  sure  to  pass  hundreds  of 
perforated  wooden  boxes  with  angular  roofs  and  red  chimneys 
unrelieved  by  a single  moulding ; and  now  and  then  to  meet, 
with  one  of  those  cupola-crowned,  broad-brimmed,  corinthian- 
columned  abominations,  as  well  as  with  other  forms  equally  gro- 
tesque and  equally  offending  good  taste. 

Owing;  to  the  former  somewhat  isolated  life  of  the  different 
provinces,  the  style  of  building  in  Japan  varies  considerably 
and  this  is  more  particularly  marked  in  the  design  of  the 
roof  and  ridge.  Though  the  Japanese  are  conservative  in  many 
things  concerning  the  house,  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  changes- 
have  taken  place  in  the  house  architecture  within  two  hundred 
and  fifty  years ; at  all  events,  houses  of  the  olden  times  have 
much  heavier  beams  in  their  frame  and  wider  planks  in  their 
structure,  than  have  the  houses  of  more  recent  times.  A prob- 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


49 


able  reason  is  that  wood  was  much  cheaper  in  past  times ; or  it 
is  possible  that  experience  has  taught  them  that  sufficiently 
strong:  houses  can  be  made  with  lighter  material. 

The  Japanese  dwellings  are  always  of  wood,  usually  of  one 
story  and  unpainted.  Rarely  does  a house  strike  one  as  being 
specially  marked  or  better  looking  than  its  neighbors ; more  sub- 
stantial, certainly,  some  of  them  are,  and  yet  there  is  a same- 
ness about  them  which  becomes  wearisome.  Particularly  is  this 
the  case  with  the  long,  uninteresting  row  of  houses  that  border 
a village  street ; their  picturesque  roofs  alone  save  them  from 
becoming  monotonous.  A closer  study,  however,  reveals  some 
marked  differences  between  the  country  and  city  houses,  as 
well  as  between  those  of  different  provinces. 

The  country  house,  if  anything  more  than  a shelter  from  the 
elements,  is  larger  and  more  substantial  than  the  city  house,  and 
with  its  ponderous  thatched  roof  and  elaborate  ridge  is  always 
picturesque.  One  sees  much  larger  houses  in  the  north,  — roofs 
•of  grand  proportions  and  an  amplitude  of  space  beneath,  that 
farther  south  occurs  only  under  the  roofs  of  temples.  We  speak 
now  of  the  houses  of  the  better  classes,  for  the  poor  farm-laborer 
and  fisherman,  as  well  as  their  prototypes  in  the  city,  possess 
houses  that  are  little  better  than  shanties,  built,  as  a friend 
has  forcibly  expressed  it,  of  “ chips,  paper,  and  straw.”  But 
even  these  huts,  clustered  together  as  they  oftentimes  are  in 
the  larger  cities,  are  palatial  in  contrast  to  the  shattered  and 
filthy  condition  of  a like  class  of  tenements  in  many  of  the 
cities  of  Christian  countries. 

In  travelling  through  the  country  the  absence  of  a middle 
class,  as  indicated  by  the  dwellings,  is  painfully  apparent.  It 
is  true  that  you  pass,  now  and  then,  large  comfortable  houses 
with  their  broad  thatched  roofs,  showing  evidences  of  wealth  and 
abundance  in  the  numerous  kura  and  outbuildings  surrounding 
them ; but  where  you  find  one  of  these  you  pass  hundreds 


4 


50  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

which  are  barely  more  than  shelters  for  their  inmates ; and 
within,  the  few  necessary  articles  render  the  evidences  of  poverty 
all  the  more  apparent. 

Though  the  people  that  inhabit  such  shelters  are  very  poor, 
they  appear  contented  and  cheerful  notwithstanding  their  poverty. 
Other  classes,  who  though  not  poverty-stricken  are  yet  poor  in 
every  sense  of  the  word,  occupy  dwellings  of  the  simplest  char- 
acter. Many  of  the  dwellings  are  often  diminutive  in  size  • 
and  as  one  looks  in  at  a tiny  cottage  containing  two  or  three 
rooms  at  the  most,  the  entire  house  hardly  bigger  than  a good- 
sized  room  at  home,  and  observes  a family  of  three  or  four 
persons  living  quietly  and  in  a cleanly  manner  in  this  limited 
space,  he  learns  that  in  Japan,  at  least,  poverty  and  constricted 
quarters  are  not  always  correlated  with  coarse  manners,  filth, 
and  crime. 

Country  and  city  houses  of  the  better  class  vary  as  greatly 
as  with  us,  — the  one  with  its  ponderous  thatched  roof  and 
smoke-blackened  interior,  the  other  with  low  roof  neatly  tiled, 
or  shingled,  and  the  perfection  of  cleanliness  within. 

In  Tokio,  the  houses  that  abut  directly  on  the  street  have 
a close  and  prison-like  aspect.  The  walls  are  composed  of  boards 
or  plaster,  and  perforated  with  one  or  two  small  windows  lightly 
barred  with  bamboo,  or  heavily  barred  with  square  wood-gratings. 
The  entrance  to  one  of  these  houses  is  generally  at  one  corner, 
or  at  the  side.  The  back  of  the  house  and  one  side,  at  least, 
have  a verandah.  I speak  now  of  the  better  class  of  houses 
in  the  city,  but  not  of  the  best  houses,  which  almost  invariably 
stand  back  from  the  street  and  are  surrounded  by  gardens. 

The  accompanying  sketch  (fig.  33)  represents  a group  of 
houses  bordering  a street  in  Kanda  Ku,  Tokio.  The  windows 
are  in  some  cases  projecting  or  hanging  bays,  and  are  barred  with 
bamboo  or  square  bars  of  wood.  A sliding-screen  covered  with 
stout  white  paper  takes  the  place  of  our  glass-windows.  Through 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


51 


these  gratings  the  inmates  of  the  house  do  their  bargaining  with 
the  street  venders.  The  entrance  to  these  houses  is  usually 
by  means  of  a gate  common  to  a number.  This  entrance  con- 
sists of  a large  gate  used  for  vehicles  and  heavy  loads,  and  by 
the  side  of  this  is  a smaller  gate  used  by  the  people.  Sometimes 
the  big  gate  has  a large  square  opening  in  it,  closed  by  a 
sliding-door  or  grating,  — and  through  this  the  inmates  have 
ingress  and  egress. 

The  houses,  if  of  wood,  are  painted  black ; or  else,  as  is 
more  usually  the  case,  the  wood  is  left  in  its  natural  state, 


Fig.  33.  — Street  in  Kanda  Ku,  Tokio. 


and  this  gradually  turns  to  a darker  shade  by  exposure.  When 
painted,  a dead  black  is  used ; and  this  color  is  certainly  agree- 
able to  the  eyes,  though  the  heat-rays  caused  by  this  black 
surface  become  almost  unendurable  on  hot  days,  and  must  add 
greatly  to  the  heat  and  discomfort  within  the  house.  With 
a plastered  outside  wall  the  surface  is  often  left  white,  while 
the  frame-work  of  the  building  is  painted  black, — and  this 
treatment  gives  it  a decidedly  funereal  aspect. 


52  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

In  fig.  34  two  other  houses  in  the  same  street  are  shown, 
one  having  a two-storied  addition  in  the  rear.  The  entrance 
to  this  house  is  by  means  of  a gate,  which  in  the  sketch  is  open. 
The  farther  house  has  the  door  on  the  street. 

It  is  not  often  that  the  streets  are  bordered  by  such  well- 
constructed  ditches  on  the  side,  as  is  represented  in  the  last 
two  figures ; in  these  cases  the  ditches  are  three  or  four  feet 


wide,  with  well-built  stone-walls  and  stone  or  wooden  bridges 
spanning  them  at  the  doors  and  gateways.  Through  these 
ditches  the  water  is  running,  and  though  vitiated  by  the  water 
from  the  kitchen  and  baths  is  yet  sufficiently  pure  to  support 
cpiite  a number  of  creatures,  such  as  snails,  frogs,  and  even 
fishes.  In  the  older  city  dwellings  of  the  poorer  classes  a num- 
ber of  tenements  often  occur  in  a block,  and  the  entrance  is 
by  means  of  a gateway  common  to  all. 

Since  the  revolution  of  1868  there  has  appeared  a new  style 
of  building  in  Tokio,  in  which  a continuous  row  of  tenements 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


53 


is  under  one  roof,  and  each  tenement  has  its  own  separate 
entrance  directly  upon  the  street.  Fig.  35  gives  a sketch  of 
a row  of  these  tenements.  These  blocks,  nearly  always  of 
one  story,  are  now  quite  common  in  various  parts  of  Tokio.  In 
the  rear  is  provided  a small  plot  for  each  tenement,  which 
may  be  used  for  a garden.  People  of  small  means,  but  by 
no  means  the  poorer  classes,  generally  occupy  these  dwellings. 
I was  informed  by  an  old  resident  of  Tokio  that  only  since 


Tig.  35.  — Block  op  Cheap  Tenements  in  Tokio. 


the  revolution  have  houses  been  built  with  their  doors' or  main 
entrances  opening  directly  on  the  street.  This  form  of  house 
is  certainly  convenient  and  economical,  and  is  destined  to  be 
a common  feature  of  house-building;  in  the  future. 

On  the  business  streets  similar  rows  of  buildings  are  seen, 
though  generally  each  shop  is  an  independent  building,  abutting 
directly  to  the  next ; and  in  the  case  of  all  the  smaller  shops, 
and  indeed  of  many  of  the  larger  ones,  the  dwelling  and  shop 
are  one,  the  goods  being  displayed  in  the  room  on  the  street, 
while  the  family  occupy  the  back  rooms.  While  one  is  bartering 
at  a shop,  the  whole  front  being  open,  be  may  often  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  family  in  the  back  room  at  dinner,  and  may  look 


54  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


entirely  through  a building  to  a garden  beyond.  It  is  a source 
of  amazement  to  a foreigner  to  find  in  the  rear  of  a row  of  dull 
and  sombre  business-houses  independent  dwellings,  with  rooms  of 
exquisite  taste  and  cleanliness.  I remember,  in  one  of  the  busiest 
streets  of  Tokio,  passing  through  a lithographer’s  establishment, 
with  the  inky  presses  and  inky  workmen  in  full  activity,  and 
coming  upon  the  choicest  of  tiny  gardens  and,  after  crossing  a 
miniature  foot-bridge,  to  a house  of  rare  beauty  and  finish. 


Fig.  36.  — Street  View  of  Dwelling  in  Tokio. 


It  is  customary  for  the  common  merchant  to  live  under  the  same 
roof  with  the  shop,  or  in  a closely  contiguous  building ; though  in 
Tokio,  more  than  elsewhere,  I was  informed  it  is  the  custom 
among  the  wealthy  merchants  to  have  their  houses  in  the  suburbs 
of  the  city,  at  some  distance  from  their  place  of  business. 

The  sketch  shown  in  Fig.  36  is  a city  house  of  one  of  the 
better  classes.  The  house  stands  on  a new  street,  and  the  lot 
on  one  side  is  vacant ; nevertheless,  the  house  is  surrounded  on 
all  sides  by  a high  board-fence,  — since,  with  the  open  character  of 
a Japanese  house,  privacy,  if  desired,  can  be  secured  only  by  high 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


55 


fences  or  thick  hedges.  The  house  is  shown  as  it  appears  from 
the  street.  The  front-door  is  near  the  gate,  which  is  shown  on  the 
left  of  the  sketch.  There  is  here  no  display  of  an  architec- 
tural front ; indeed,  there  is  no  display  anywhere.  The  largest 
and  best  rooms  are  in  the  back  of  the  house ; and  what  might 
be  called  a back-yard,  upon  which  the  kitchen  opens,  is  parallel 
with  the  area  in  front  of  the  main  entrance  to  the  house,  and 


Fig.  37.  — View  of  Dwelling  from  Garden,  in  Tokio. 


separated  from  it  by  a high  fence.  The  second  story  contains 
one  room,  and  this  may  be  regarded  as  a guest-chamber.  Access 
to  this  chamber  is  by  means  of  a steep  flight  of  steps,  made  out 
of  thick  plank,  and  unguarded  by  hand-rail  of  any  kind.  The 
roof  is  heavily  tiled,  while  the  walls  of  the  house  are  outwardly 
composed  of  broad  thin  boards,  put  on  vertically,  and  having 
strips  of  wood  to  cover  the  joints.  A back  view  of  this  house 
is  shown  in  Fig.  37.  Here  all  the  rooms  open  directly  on  the 
garden.  Along  the  verandah  are  three  rooms  en  suite.  The 


56  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


balcony  of  the  second  story  is  covered  by  a light  supplementary 
roof,  from  which  hangs  a bamboo  screen  to  shade  the  room  from 
the  sun’s  rays.  Similar  screens  are  also  seen  hanging  below. 

The  verandah  is  cpiite  spacious ; and  in  line  with  the  division 
between  the  rooms  is  a groove  for  the  adjustment  of  a wooden 
screen  or  shutter  when  it  is  desired  to  separate  the  house  into 
two  portions  temporarily.  At  the  end  of  the  verandah  to  the 


Fig.  38.  — Dwelling  near  Kudan,  Torio. 


left  of  the  sketch  is  the  latrine.  The  house  is  cpiite  oj^en  be- 
neath, and  the  air  has  free  circulation. 

Another  type  of  a Tokio  house  is  shown  in  Fig.  38.  This  is  a 
low,  one-storied  house,  standing,  directly  upon  the  street,  its  tiled 
roof  cut  up  into  curious  gables.  The  entrance  is  protected  by 
a barred  sliding  door.  A large  hanging  bay-window  is  also 
barred.  Just  over  the  fence  a bamboo  curtain  may  be  seen, 
which  shades  the  verandah.  The  back  of  the  house  was  open, 
and  probably  looked  out  on  a pretty  garden,  — though  this  I did 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


57 


not  see,  as  this  sketch,  like  many  others,  was  taken  somewhat 
hastily. 

From  this  example  some  idea  may  he  got  of  the  diminutive 
character  of  many  of  the  Japanese  dwellings,  in  which,  never- 
theless, families  live  in  all  cleanliness  and  comfort. 

In  the  northern  part  of  Japan  houses  are  often  seen  which 
possess  features  suggestive  of  the  picturesque  architecture  of 


Switzerland,  — the  gable  ends  showing,  in  their  exterior,  massive 
timbers  roughly  hewn,  with  all  the  irregularities  of  the  tree-trunk 
preserved,  the  interstices  between  these  beams  being  filled  with 
clay  or  plaster.  The  eaves  are  widely  overhanging,  with  pro- 
jecting rafters.  Oftentimes  delicately-carved  wood  is  seen  about 
the  gable-ends  and  projecting  balcony.  As  a still  further  sug- 
gestion of  this  resemblance,  the  main  roof,  if  shingled,  as  well 
as  the  roof  that  shelters  the  verandah,  is  weighted  with  stones 
of  various  sizes  to  prevent  its  being  blown  away  by  the  high 


58  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

winds  that  often  prevail.  This  feature  is  particularly  common 
in  the  Island  of  Yezo. 

Fig.  39  gives  a house  of  this  description  near  Matsushima,  in 
Rikuzen.  An  opening  for  the  egress  of  smoke  occurs  on  the 
side  of  the  roof,  in  shape  not  unlike  that  of  a round-topped 
dormer  window.  This  opening  in  almost  every  instance  is  found 
on  the  gable  end,  directly  beneath  the  angle  formed  at  the  peak 
of  the  roof. 

Another  house  of  this  kind,  seen  in  the  same  province,  is 
shown  in  fig.  40.  Here  the  smoke-outlet  is  on  the  ridge  in 


Fig.  40.  — Country  Inn  in  Rikuzen. 


the  shape  of  an  angular  roof,  with  its  ridge  running  at  right 
angles  to  the  main  ridge  ; in  this  is  a latticed  window.  This 
ventilator,  as  well  as  the  main  roof,  is  heavily  thatched,  while 
the  supplementary  ridge  is  of  boards  and  weighted  with  stones. 
A good  example  of  a heavily-tiled  and  plastered  wooden  fence 
is  seen  on  the  left  of  the  sketch.  In  the  road  a number 

of  laborers  are  shown  in  the  act  of  moving  a heavy  block 
of  stone. 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


59 


Another  house,  shown  in  fig.  41,  was  seen  on  the  road  to 
Mororan,  in  Yezo.  Here  the  smoke-outlet  was  in  the  form  of 
a low  supplementary  structure  on  the  ridge.  The  ridge  itself 
was  flat,  and  upon  it  grew  a luxuriant  mass  of  lilies.  This  roof 
was  unusually  large  and  capacious. 

At  the  place  where  the  river  Kitakami  empties  into  the 
Bay  of  Sendai,  and  where  we  left  our  boat  in  which  we  had 


Fig.  41.  — House  near  Mororan,  Yezo. 


come  down  the  river  from  Morioka,  the  houses  were  all  of 
the  olden  style,  — a number  of  these  presenting  some  good 
examples  of  projecting  windows.  Fig.  42  represents  the  front 
of  a house  in  this  place.  This  shows  a large  gable-roof,  with 
broad  overhanging  eaves  in  front,  — the  ends  of  the  rafters 
projecting  to  support  the  eaves  and  the  transverse-beams  of 
the  gable  ends  being  equally  in  sight.  The  projecting  win- 
dow, which  might  perhaps  be  called  a bay,  runs  nearly  the  en- 
tire length  of  the  gable.  The  panels  in  the  frieze  were  of 


60  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


dark  wood,  and  bore  perforated  designs  of  pine  and  bamboo 
alternating;. 

rIhe  larger  houses  of  this  description  are  always  inns.  They 
usually  abut  directly  upon  the  road,  and  have  an  open  appearance 
and  an  air  of  hospitality  about  them  which  at  once  indicates 
their  character.  One  encounters  such  places  so  frequently  in 
Japan,  that  travelling  in  the  interior  is  rendered  a matter  of 
ease  and  comfort  as  compared  with  similar  experiences  in  neigh- 


Fig.  42.  — Bay-window,  Village  of  Odzuka,  Eikuzen. 


boring  countries.  The  larger  number  of  these  inns  in  the  north 
are  of  one-story,  though  many  may  be  seen  that  are  two-storied. 
Very  rarely  does  a three-storied  building  occur.  Fig.  43  repre- 
sents one  of  this  nature,  that  was  seen  in  a small  village  north 
of  Sendai. 

Houses  of  the  better  classes  stand  back  from  the  road,  and 
have  bordering  the  road  high  and  oftentimes  ponderous  ridged 
walls,  with  gateways  of  similar  proportions  and  character,  or 
fences  of  various  kinds  with  rustic  gateways.  Long,  low  out- 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


61 


buildings,  for  servants’  quarters,  also  often  form  portions  of  the 
boundary  wall.  In  the  denser  part  of  larger  cities  it  is  rare 
to  find  an  old  house,  — the  de- 
vastating conflagrations  that  so 
often  sweep  across  the  cities 
rendering  the  survival  of  old 
houses  almost  an  impossibility. 

In  the  suburbs  of  cities  and  in 
the  country,  however,  it  is  not 
difficult  to  find  houses  one  hun- 
dred, and  even  two  or  three  hun- 
dred years  old.  The  houses  age 
as  rapidly  as  the  people,  and  new 
houses  very  soon  turn  gray  from 
the  weather  ; the  poorer  class  of 
houses  in  particular  appear  much  older  than  they  really  are. 

In  entering  Morioka,  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Kita- 
kami  River,  the  long  street  presents  a remarkably  pretty  appear- 
ance, with  its  odd 
low  - roofed  houses 
(fig.  44),  each  stand- 
ing with  its  end 
to  the  street,  — the 
peak  of  the  thatched 
roof  overhanging  the 
smoke- outlet  like  a 
hood.  The  street  is 
bordered  by  a high, 
rustic,  bamboo  fence ; 
and  between  the 
houses  are  little  plats  filled  with  bright-colored  flowers,  and  shrub- 
bery clustering  within  the  fences,  even  sending  its  sprays  into 
the  footpath  bordering  the  road. 


Fig.  44.  — Street  in  the  Suburbs  of  Morioka. 


Fig.  43.  — Three-storied  House  in 
Rikuchiu. 


G2  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

The  country  house  of  an  independent  samurai , or  rich  farmer, 
is  large,  roomy,  and  thoroughly  comfortable.  1 recall  with  the 
keenest  pleasure  the  delightful  days  enjoyed  under  the  roof 
of  one  of  these  typical  mansions  in  Kabutoyama,  in  the  western 
part  of  the  province  of  Musaslii.  The  residence  consisted  of  a 
group  of  buildings  shut  in  from  the  road  by  a high  wall. 
Passing  through  a ponderous  gateway,  one  enters  a spacious 
court-yard,  flanked  on  either  side  by  long,  low  buildings  used 


Fig.  45.  — Old  Fakm-house  in  Kabutoyama. 


as  store-houses  and  servants’  quarters.  At  the  farther  end  of 
the  yard,  and  facing  the  entrance,  was  a comfortable  old  farm- 
house, having  a projecting  gable-wing  to  its  right  (fig.  45).  The 
roof  was  a thatched  one  of  unusual  thickness.  At  the  end  of 
the  wing  was  a triangular  latticed  opening,  from  which  thin  blue 
wreaths  of  smoke  were  curling.  This  building  contained  a few 
rooms,  including  an  unusually  spacious  kitchen,  — a sketch  of 
which  is  given  farther  on.  The  kitchen  opened  directly  into 
a larger  and  unfinished  portion  of  the  house,  having  the  earth 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


63 


for  its  floor,  and  used  as  a wood-shed.  The  owner  informed 
me  that  the  farm-house  was  nearly  three  hundred  years  old. 
To  the  left  of  the  building  was  a high  wooden  fence,  and  passing 
through  a gateway  one  came  into  a smaller  yard  and  garden. 
In  this  area  was  another  house  quite  independent  of  the  farm- 
house ; this  was  the  house  for  guests.  Its  conspicuous  feature  con- 
sisted of  a newly-thatched  roof,  surmounted  by  an  elaborate  and 
picturesque  ridge,  — its  design  derived  from  temple  architecture. 
Within  were  two  large  rooms  opening  upon  a narrow  verandah. 
These  rooms  were  unusually  high  in  stud,  and  the  mats  and  all 
the  appointments  were  most  scrupulously  clean.  Communication 
with  the  old  house  was  by  means  of  a covered  passage.  Back  of 
this  dwelling,  and  some  distance  from  it,  was  still  another  house, , 
two  stories  in  height,  and  built  in  the  most  perfect  taste ; and 
here  lived  the  grandfather  of  the  family,  — a fine  old  gentleman, 
dignified  and  courtly  in  his  manners. 

The  farm-house  yard  presented  all  the  features  of  similar  areas 
at  home.  A huge  pile  of  wood  cut  for  the  winter’s  supply  was 
piled  up  against  the  L.  Basket-like  coops,  rakes,  and  the  cus- 
tomary utensils  of  a farmer’s  occupation  were  scattered  about. 
The  sketch  of  this  old  house  gives  but  a faint  idea  of  the  massive 
and  top-heavy  appearance  of  the  roof,  or  of  the  large  size  of  the 
building.  The  barred  windows  below,  covered  by  a narrow  tiled 
roof,  were  much  later  additions  to  the  structure. 

In  the  city  houses  of  the  better  class  much  care  is  often  taken 
to  make  the  surroundings  appear  as  rural  as  possible,  by  putting 
here  and  there  quaint  old  wells,  primitive  and  rustic  arbors,  fences, 
and  gateways.  The  gateways  receive  special  attention  in  this 
way,  and  the  oddest  of  entrances  are  often  seen  in  thickly-settled 
parts  of  large  cities. 

Houses  with  thatched  roofs,  belonging  to  the  wealthiest  classes, 
are  frequently  seen  in  the  suburbs  of  Tokio  and  Kioto,  and,  strange 
as  it  may  appear,  even  within  the  city  proper.  One  might  be  led 


64  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


to  suppose  that  such  roofs  would  quickly  fall  a prey  to  the  sparks; 
of  a conflagration ; but  an  old  thatched  roof  gets  compacted  with 
dust  and  soot  to  such  an  extent  that  plants  and  weeds  of  various 
kinds,  and  large  clumps  of  mosses,  are  often  seen  flourishing  in 
luxuriance  upon  such  surfaces,  offering  a good  protection  against 
flying  sparks.  In  Kioto  we  recall  a house  of  this  description 
which  was  nearly  three  centuries  old  ; and  since  we  made  sketches 


Fig.  46.  — Entrance  to  Court-yard  of  Old  House  in  Kioto. 

of  its  appearance  from  the  street,  from  just  within  the  gateway,, 
and  from  the  rear,  we  will  describe  these  views  in  sequence. 

The  first  view,  then  (fig.  46),  is  from  the  street,  and  represents 
a heavily-roofed  gateway,  with  a smaller  gateway  at  the  side.  The 
big  gates  had  been  removed,  and  the  little  gateway  was  perma- 
nently closed.  This  ponderous  structure  was  flanked  on  one  side 
by  a low  stretch  of  buildings,  plastered  on  the  outside,  having 
small  barred  windows  on  the  street,  and  a barred  look-out  com- 
manding the  gateway  both  outside  and  within.  On  the  other 
side  of  the  gateway  was  a high,  thick  wall,  also  furnished  with  a 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


65 


window  or  lookout.  The  outer  walls  rose  directly  from  the  wall 
forming  the  gutter,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  a diminutive 
moat  that  ran  along  the  side  of  the  street.  Blocks  of  worked 
stone  formed  a bridge  across  this  moat,  by  which  access  was 
gained  to  the  enclosure.  The  old  dwelling,  with  its  sharp-ridged 
roof,  may  be  seen  above  the  buildings  just  described. 


Tig.  47. — Old  House  in  Kioto.  Court-yard  Yiew. 


Fig.  47  represents  the  appearance  of  this  old  house  from  just 
within  the  gateway.  The  barred  window  to  the  left  of  the 
sketch  may  Ire  seen  through  the  open  gateway  in  fig.  46,  and  the 
tree  which  showed  over  the  top  of  the  gateway  in  that  sketch  is 
now  in  full  view.  The  old  house  lias  a thatched  roof  with  a 
remarkably  steep  pitch,  surmounted  by  a ridge  of  tiles  ; a narrow 
tiled  roof  runs  about  the  house  directly  below  the  eaves  of  the 
tnatched  roof.  Suspended  below  this  roof  is  seen  a ladder  and 
fire-engine,  to  be  ready  in  case  of  emergency.  The  truth  must  be 


66  JAPANESE  HOMES  ANT)  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


told,  however,  that  these  domestic  engines  are  never  ready ; for 
when  they  are  wanted,  it  is  found  that  the  square  cylinders  are 
so  warped  and  cracked  by  the  hot  summers  that  when  they  are 
brought  into  action  their  chief  accomplishment  consists  in  squirt- 
ing water  through  numerous  crevices  upon  the  men  who  are  fran- 
tically endeavoring  to  make  these  engines  do  their  duty  properly. 


Fig.  48. — Old  House  in  Kioto.  Garden  View. 


The  yard  was  well  swept,  and  quite  free  from  weeds,  though  at 
one  side  a number  of  shrubs  and  a banana  tree  were  growing  in  a 
luxuriant  tangle.  A single  tree,  of  considerable  age,  rose  directl}7 
in  a line  with  the  entrance  to  the  yard. 

The  house,  like  all  such  houses,  had  its  uninteresting  end 
toward  the  street ; and  here,  attached  to  the  house,  was  a 
“ lean-to,”  or  shed,  with  a small  circular  window.  This  was 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


67 


probably  a kitchen,  as  a gateway  is  seen  in  the  sketch,  which 
lecl  to  the  kitchen-garden. 

In  Fig.  48  a sketch  of  this  house  is  given  from  the  garden  in 
the  rear.  The  house  is  quite  open  behind,  and  looks  out  on  the 
garden  and  fish-pond,  which  is  seen  in  the  foreground.  The  tiled 
roof  which  covers  the  verandah,  and  the  out-buildings  as  well, 
was  a subsequent  addition  to  the  old  house.  The  sole  occupants 
consisted  of  the  mother  and  maiden  sister  of  the  famous  antiqua- 
rian Ninagawa  Noritani.  The  garden,  with  its  shrubs,  plats  of 
flowers,  stepping-stones  leading  to  the  fish-pond  filled  with  lotus 
and  lilies,  and  the  bamboo  trellis,  is  a good  specimen  of  an  old 
garden  upon  which  but  little  care  has  been  bestowed. 

In  the  cities  nothing  is  more  surprising  to  a foreigner  than 
to  go  from  the  dust  and  turmoil  of  a busy  street  directly  into 
a rustic  yard  and  the  felicity  of  quiet  country  life.  On  one 
of  the  busy  streets  of  Tokio  I had  often  passed  a low  shop, 
the  barred  front  of  which  was  never  opened  to  traffic,  nor  was 
there  ever  any  one  present  with  whom  to  deal.  I used  often 
to  peer  between  the  bars ; and  from  the  form  of  the  wooden 
boxes  on  the  step-like  shelves  within,  I knew  that  the  occupant 
was  a dealer  in  old  pottery.  One  day  I called  through  the 
bars  several  times,  and  finally  a man  pushed  back  the  screen 
in  the  rear  of  the  shop  and  bade  me  come  in  by  way  of  a narrow 
alley  a little  way  up  the  street.  This  I did,  and  soon  came  to 
a gate  that  led  me  into  one  of  the  neatest  and  cleanest  little 
gardens  it  is  possible  to  imagine.  The  man  was  evidently  just 
getting  ready  for  a tea-party,  and,  as  is  customary  in  winter,  the 
garden  had  been  liberally  strewn  with  pine-needles,  which  had 
then  been  neatly  swept  from  the  few  paths  and  formed  in  thick 
mats  around  some  of  the  shrubs  and  trees.  The  master  had 
already  accosted  me  from  the  verandah,  and  after  bringing  the 
customary  hibachi,  over  which  I warmed  my  hands,  and  tea  and 
cake,  he  brought  forth  some  rare  old  pottery. 


JAPANESE  HOMES  ANP  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS 


GS 


Fig.  49.  — House  in  Tokio. 


The  verandah  and  a portion  of  this  house  as  it  appeared 
from  the  garden  are  given  in  fig.  49.  At  the  end  of  the  verandah 
is  seen  a narrow  partition,  made  out  of  the  planks  of  an  olci 


lor 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


69 


ship ; it  is  secured  to  the  side  of  the  house  by  a huge  piece 
of  bamboo.  One  is  greatly  interested  to  see  how  curiously,  and 
oftentimes  artistically,  the  old  worm-eaten  and  blackened  frag- 
ments of  a shipwreck  are  worked  into  the  various  parts  of  a 
house,  — this  being  an  odd  fancy  of  the  Japanese  house-builder. 
Huge  and  irregular-shaped  logs  will  often  form  the  cross-piece 
to  a gateway;  rudder-posts  fixed  in  the  ground  form  the  sup- 
port of  bronze  or  pottery  vessels  to  hold  water.  But  fragments 
of  a shipwreck  are  most  commonly  seen.  This  wood  is  always 
rich  in  color,  and  has  an  antique  appearance,  — these  qualities 
commending  it  at  once  to  the  Japanese  eye,  and  rendering  it, 
with  its  associations,  an  attractive  object  for  their  purposes. 

In  the  house  above  mentioned  a portion  of  a vessel’s  side 
or  bottom  had  been  used  bodity  for  a screen  at  the  end  of  the 
verandah,  — for  just  beyond  was  the  latrine,  from  the  side  of 
which  is  seen  jutting  another  wing,  consisting  of  a single  weather- 
worn plank  bordered  by  a bamboo-post.  This  was  a screen  to 
shut  out  the  kitchen-yard  beyond.  Various  stepping-stones  of 
irregular  shape,  as  well  as  blackened  planks,  were  arranged 
around  the  yard  in  picturesque  disorder.  The  sketch  conveys, 
with  more  or  less  accuracy,  one  of  the  many  phases  of  Japanese 
taste  in  these  matters. 

The  wood-work  from  the  rafters  of  the  verandah  roof  above, 
to  the  planks  below,  was  undefiled  by  oil,  paint,  wood-filling, 
or  varnish  of  any  kind.  The  carpentry  was  light,  yet  durable 
and  thoroughly  constructive ; while  outside  and  inside  every 
feature  was  as  neat  and  clean  as  a cabinet.  The  room  bordering; 
this  verandah  is  shown  in  fig;.  125. 

Fig.  50  gives  a view  from  the  L of  a gentleman’s  house 
in  Tokio,  from  which  was  seen  the  houses  and  gardens  of  the 
neighborhood.  The  high  and  close  fence  borders  a roadway 
which  runs  along  the  bank  of  the  Sumida-gawa.  A short  fence 
of  brush  juts  out  obliquely  from  the  latrine,  and  forms  a screen 


70  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

between  the  house  and  the  little  gate.  From  this  sketch  some 
idea  may  be  formed  of  the  appearance  of  the  balcony  and  ve- 
randah, and  how  well  they  are  protected  by  the  overhanging 
roofs. 


Fig.  50.  — View  from  Second  Story  op  Dwelling  in  Imado,  Tokio. 


The  inns,  particularly  the  country  inns,  have  a most  cosey 
and  comfortable  air  about -them.  One  always  has  the  freedom 
of  the  entire  place ; at  least  a foreigner  generally  makes  himself 
at  home  everywhere  about  the  public  houses,  and  in  this  respect 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


71 


must  impress  a Japanese  with  his  boorish  ways,  since  the  native 
guests  usually  keep  to  their  own  rooms.  The  big,  capacious 
kitchen,  with  its  smoke-blackened  rafters  overhead,  its  ruddy 
glow  of  wood-fire  (a  sight  rarely  seen  in  the  cities,  where  char- 
coal is  the  principal  fuel),  and  the  family  busy  with  their  various 
domestic  duties,  is  a most  cosey  and  agreeable  region. 


Fig.  51.  — Old  Inn  in  Mishima,  Suruga. 


On  the  ride  across  Yezo,  from  Otarunai  to  Mororan,  one  passes 
a number  of  inns  of  the  most  ample  proportions  ; and  their  present 
deserted  appearance  contrasts  strangely  with  their  former  gran- 
deur, when  the  Daimio  of  the  province,  accompanied  by  swarms 
of  samurai  and  other  attendants,  made  his  annual  pilgrimage  to 
the  capital. 

At  Mishima,  in  the  province  of  Suruga,  a curious  old  inn  was 
seen  (fig.  51).  The  second  story  overhung  the  first  story  in  front. 


72  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

and  the  eaves  were  very  widely-projecting.  At  the  sides  of  the 
building  a conspicuous  feature  was  the  verge  boards,  which  were 
very  large,  with  their  lower  margins  cut  in  curious  sweeps.  This 
may  have  been  intended  for  an  architectural  adornment,  or  pos- 
sibly for  a wind  or  sun  screen ; at  all  events  it  was,  as  we  saw 
it,  associated  with  buildings  of  considerable  antiquity.  In  the 
middle  and  southern  provinces  of  Japan  the  feature  of  an  over- 
hanging second  story  is  by  no  means  uncommon. 


Fig.  52.  — Village  Street  in  Nagaike,  Yamashiro. 


A group  of  houses  in  a village  street  is  shown  in  fig.  52.  The 
nearest  house  is  a resting-place  for  travellers ; the  next  is  a 
candle-shop,  where  the  traveller  and  jinrikisha  man  may  replenish 
their  lanterns ; the  third  is  a jinrikisha  stand,  and  beyond  this  is 
a light  board-structure  of  some  kind.  All  of  these  are  dwellings 
as  well.  This  street  was  in  the  village  of  Nagaike,  between  Nara 
and  Kioto. 

The  country  houses  on  the  east  coast  of  Kagoshima  Gulf,  in 
the  province  of  Osumi,  as  well  as  in  the  province  of  Satsuma, 
have  thatched  roofs  of  ponderous  proportions,  while  the  walls 
supporting  them  are  very  low.  These  little  villages  along  the 


CITY  AND  COUNTRY  HOUSES. 


73 


coast  present  a singular  aspect,  as  one  distinguishes  only  the 
high  and  thick  roofs.  Fig.  53  is  a sketch  of  Mototaru-midsu  as 
seen  from  the  water, 
and  fig.  54  repre- 
sents the  appearance 
of  a group  of  houses 
seen  in  the  same  vil- 
lage, which  is  on  the 
road  running  along  Fig.  53.  — Shore  of  Osumi. 

the  gulf  coast  of  Osu- 
mi. The  ridge  is  covered  by  a layer  of  bamboo  ; and  the  ends 
of  the  ridge,  where  it  joins  the  hip  of  the  roof,  are  guarded  by 


Fig.  54.  — Farmers’  Houses  in  Mototaru-midsu,  Osumi. 

a stout  matting  of  bamboo  and  straw.  In  this  sketch  a regular 
New  England  well-sweep  is  seen,  though  it  is  by  no  means  an 
uncommon  object  in  other  parts  of  Japan.  Where  the  well  is 


74  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


under  cover,  the  well-sweep  is  so  arranged  that  the  well-pole 
goes  through  a hole  in  the  roof. 

The  fishermen’s  houses  are  oftentimes  nothing  more  than  the 
roughest  shelters  from  the  elements,  and  being  more  closed  than 
the  peasants’  houses  are  consequently  darker  and  dirtier.  In 

the  neighborhood  of 
larger  towns,  where 
the  fishermen  are 
more  prosperous, 
their  houses  com- 
Fig.  55.  — Fishermen’s  FIuts  in  Hakodate.  pare  favorably  with 

those  of  the  peas- 
ant class.  Fig.  55  shows  a group  of  fishermen’s  huts  on  the  neck 
of  sand  which  connects  Hakodate  with  the  main  island.  The  hi  o h 

o 

stockade  fences  act  as  barriers  to  the  winds  which  blow  so  furi 
ously  across  the  bar  at  certain  seasons.  Fig.  56  represents  a few 
fishermen’s  huts  at  Enoshima,  a famous  resort  a little  south  of 


Fig.  56.  — Fishermen’s  Houses  at  Enoshima. 


Yokohama.  Here  the  houses  are  comparatively  iarge  and  com- 
fortable, though  poor  and  dirty  at  best.  The  huge  baskets  seen 
in  the  sketch  are  used  to  hold  and  transport  fish  from  the 
boat  to  the  shore. 


KURA. 


75 


In  the  city  no  outbuildings,  such  as  sheds  and  barns,  are  seen. 
Accompanying  the  houses  of  the  better  class  are  solid,  thick- 
walled,  fire-proof  buildings  called  kura,  in  which  the  goods  and 
chattels  are  stowed  away  in  times  of  danger  from  conflagrations. 
These  buildings,  which  are  known  to  the  foreigner  as  “ go-downs,” 


Fig.  57.  — Kura  in  Tokio. 


are  usually  two  stories  in  height,  and  have  one  or  two  small 
windows,  and  one  door,  closed  by  thick  and  ponderous  shutters. 
Such  a building  usually  stands  isolated  from  the  dwelling,  and 
sometimes,  though  rarely,  they  are  converted  into  domiciles.  Of 
such  a character  is  the  group  of  buildings  in  Tokio  represented 
in  fig.  57,  belonging 
to  a genial  antiqua- 
ry, in  which  he  has 
stored  a rare  collec- 
tion of  old  books, 
manuscripts,  paint- 
ings, and  other  an- 
tique objects.  Fig.  5g_ — Kura,  or  Fire-proof  Buildings  in  Tokio. 

Fig.  58,  copied 

from  a sketch  made  by  Mr.  S.  Koyama,  represents  another  group 
of  these  buildings  in  Tokio.  These  kura  belonged  to  the  famous 


7G  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


antiquarian  Ninagawa  Noritani.  In  these  buildings  were  stored 
his  treasures  of  pottery  and  painting.  Often  light  wooden  exten- 
sions are  built  around  the  kura , and  in  such  cases  the  family  live 
in  the  outside  apartments.  An  example  of  this  kind  is  shown 
in  fig.  59,  which  is  an  old  house  in  a poor  quarter  of  the  city 
of  Hakodate.  The  central  portion  represents  the  two-storied 
kura,  and  around  it  is  built  an  additional  shelter  having  a tiled 
roof.  In  case  of  fire  the  contents  of  the  outer  rooms  are  hur- 
riedly stowed  within  the  fire-proof  portion,  the  door  closed,  and 
the  crevices  chinked  with  mud.  These  buildings  usually  survive 


Fig.  59.  — Old  House  in  Hakodate. 


in  the  midst  of  a wide-spread  conflagration,  while  all  the  outer 
wooden  additions  are  consumed.  Further  reference  will  be  made 
to  these  structures  in  other  portions  of  the  work.  It  may  be 
proper  to  state,  however,  that  nearly  every  shop  has  connected 
with  it  a fire-proof  building  of  this  nature. 

It  hardly  comes  within  the  province  of  this  work  to  describe  or 
figure  buildings  which  are  not  strictly  speaking  homes  ; for  this 
reason  no  reference  will  be  made  to  the  monotonous  rows  of  build- 
ings so  common  in  Tokio,  which  form  portions  of  the  boundary- 


A STUDY  OF  ROOFS. 


77 


wall  of  the  yashiki ; ancl,  indeed,  had  this  been  desirable,  it  would 
have  been  somewhat  difficult  to  find  the  material,  in  their  original 
condition,  for  study.  Many  of  the  yashikis  have  been  destroyed 
by  fire;  others  have  been  greatly  modified,  and  are  now  occupied 
by  various  Government  departments.  In  Tokio,  for  example,  the 
yasliiki  of  the  Daimio  of  Kaga  is  used  by  the  educational  depart- 
ment, the  Mito  yashiki  for  the  manufacture  of  war  material,  and 
still  others  are  used  for  barracks  and  other  Government  purposes 
As  one  rides  through  the  city  he  often  passes  these  yashikis, 
showing  from  the  street  as  long  monotonous  rows  of  buildings, 
generally  two  stories  in  height,  with  heavy  tiled  roofs.  The  wall 
of  the  first  story  is  generally  tiled  or  plastered.  The  second-story 
wall  may  be  of  wood  or  plaster.  This  wall  is  perforated  at  inter- 
vals with  small  heavily-barred  windows  or  hanging  bays.  The 
entrance,  composed  of  stout  beams,  is  closed  by  ponderous  gates 
thickly  studded  with  what  appear  to  be  massive-headed  bolts,  but 
which  are,  however,  of  fictitious  solidity.  The  buildings  rest  on 
stone  foundations  abutting  directly  on  the  street,  or  interrupted 
by  a ditch  which  often  assumes  the  dignity  of  a castle  moat. 
These  buildings  in  long  stretches  formed  a portion  of  the  outer 
walls  of  the  yashikis  within  which  were  the  separate  residences 
of  the  Daimios  and  officers,  while  the  buildings  just  alluded  to 
were  used  by  the  soldiers  for  barracks. 

The  great  elaboration  and  variety  in  the  form  and  structure 
of  the  liouse-roof  almost  merit  the  dignity  of  a separate  section. 
For  it  is  mainly  to  the  roof  that  the  Japanese  house  owes 
its  picturesque  appearance  ; it  is  the  roof  which  gives  to  the 
houses  that  novelty  and  variety  which  is  so  noticeable  among 
them  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The  lines  of  a well-made 
thatched  roof  are  something  quite  remarkable  in  their  propor- 
tions. A great  deal  of  taste  and  skill  is  displayed  in  the  proper 
trimming  of  the  eaves ; and  the  graceful  way  in  which  the 


78  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


eaves  of  the  gable  are  made  to  join  the  side  eaves  is  always 
attractive  and  a noticeable  feature  in  Japanese  architecture, 
and  the  admirable  way  in  which  a variety  of  gables  are  made 
to  unite  with  the  main  roof  would  excite  praise  from  the  most 
critical  architect. 

The  elaborate  structure  of  the  thatched  and  tiled  roofs,  and 
the  great  variety  in  the  design  and  structure  of  the  ridges 
show  what  might  be  done  by  a Japanese  architect  if  other 
portions  of  the  house-exterior  received  an  equal  amount  of 
ingenuity  and  attention. 

Japanese  roofs  are  either  shingled,  thatched,  or  tiled.  In 
the  country,  tiled  roofs  are  the  exception,  the  roofs  being  almost 
exclusively  thatched,  — though  in  the  smaller  houses,  especially 
in  the  larger  country  villages,  the  shingled  and  tiled  roofs  are 
often  seen.  In  the  larger  towns  and  cities  the  houses  are  usually 
tiled ; yet  even  here  shingled  roofs  are  not  uncommon,  and 
though  cheaper  than  the  tiled  roofs,  are  by  no  means  confined 
to  the  poorer  houses.  In  the  suburbs,  and  even  in  the  outskirts 
of  the  cities,  thatched  roofs  are  common : in  such  cases  the 
thatched  roof  indicates  either  the  presence  of  what  was  at  one 
time  an  old  farm-house  to  which  the  city  has  extended,  or 
else  it  is  the  house  of  a gentleman  who  prefers  such  a roof 
on  account  of  its  picturesqueness  and  the  suggestions  of  rural 
life  that  go  with  it. 

The  usual  form  of  the  roof  is  generally  that  of  a hip  or 
gable.  In  the  thatched  roof,  the  portion  coming  directly  below 
the  ridge-pole  is  in  the  form  of  a gable,  and  this  blends  into 
a hip-roof.  A curb-roof  is  never  seen.  Among  the  poorer 
classes  a simple  pent  roof  is  common ; and  additions  or  attach- 
ments to  the  main  building  are  generally  covered  with  a pent 
roof.  A light,  narrow,  supplementary  roof  is  often  seen  project- 
ing just  below  the  eaves  of  the  main  roof ; it  is  generally 
made  of  wide  thin  boards  (fig.  60).  This  roof  is  called  hisaski. 


SHINGLED  ROOFS. 


79 


It  commonly  shelters  from  the  sun  and  rain  an  open  portion 
of  the  house  or  a verandah.  It  is  either  supported  by  uprights 
from  the  ground,  or  by  slender  brackets  which  are  framed  at 
right  angles  to  the 
main  uprights  of  the 
building  proper. 

Weak  and  even  flim- 
sy as  this  structure 
often  appears  to  be, 
it  manages  to  sup- 
port itself,  in  violation  of  all  known  laws  of  structure  and 
gravitation.  After  a heavy  fall  of  damp  snow  one  may  see 
thick  accumulations  covering  these  slight  roofs,  and  yet  a ride 
through  the  city  reveals  no  evidences  of  their  breaking  down. 
One  recalls  similar  structures  at  home  yielding  under  like  pres- 
sure, and  wonders  whether  gravitation  behaves  differently  in 
this  land  of  anomalies. 

In  the  ordinary  shingled  roof  a light  boarding  is  first  nailed 
to  the  rafters,  and  upon  this  the  shingles  are  secured  in  close 
courses.  The  shingles  are  always  split,  and  are  very  thin,  — 
being  about  the  thickness  of  an  ordinary  octavo  book-cover, 
and  not  much  larger  in  size,  and  having  the  same  thickness 
throughout.  They  come  in  square  bunches  (fig.  Gl,  A),  each 
bunch  containing  about  two  hundred  and  twenty  shingles,  and 
costing  about  forty  cents. 

Bamboo  pins,  resembling  attenuated  shoe-pegs,  are  used  as 
shingle-nails.  The  shingler  takes  a mouthful  of  these  pegs, 
and  with  quick  motions  works  precisely  and  in  the  same  rapid 
manner  as  a similar  class  of  workmen  do  at  home.  The 
shingler’ s hammer  is  a curious  implement  (fig.  61,  B , C).  The 
iron  portion  is  in  the  shape  of  a square  block,  with  its  roughened 
face  nearly  on  a level  with  its  handle.  Near  the  end  of  the 


80  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


handle,  and  below,  is  inserted  an  indented  strip  of  brass  (fig.  61,  b). 
The  shingler  in  grasping  the  handle  brings  the  thumb  and  fore- 


Fig.  61.  — Bunch  of  Shingles,  Nails,  and  Hammer. 


finger  opposite  the  strip  of  brass ; he  takes  a peg  from  his 
mouth  with  the  same  hand  with  which  he  holds  the  hammer, 
and  with  the  thumb  and  forefinger  holding  the  peg  against 

the  brass  strip  (fig.  62),  he  forces 
it  into  the  shingle  by  a pushing 
blow.  By  this  movement  the  peg 
is  forced  half-way  down  ; an  ob- 
lique blow  is  then  given  it  with 
the  hammer-head,  which  bends  the 
protruding  portion  of  the  peg 
against  the  shingle,  — this  broken- 
down  portion  representing  the 
head  of  our  shingle-nail.  The 
bamboo  being  tough  and  fibrous 

o O 


can  easily  be  broken  down  with- 
out separating.  In  this  way  is  the  shingle  held  to  the  roof. 
The  hammer-handle  has  marked  upon  it  the  smaller  divisions 


SHINGLED  ROOFS. 


81 


of  a carpenter’s  measure,  so  that  the  courses  of  shingles  may 
he  properly  aligned.  The  work  is  done  very  rapidly,  — for  with 
one  hand  the  shingle  is  adjusted,  while  the  other  hand  is  busily 
driving  the  pegs. 

That  the  shingles 
are  not  always  held 
firmly  to  the  roof  by 
this  method  of  shin- 
gling is  seen  in  the 
fact  that  oftentimes 
long  narrow  strips  of 
bamboo  are  nailed 
obliquely  across  the 
roof,  from  the  ridge-pole  to  the  eaves  (fig.  63).  These  strips  are 
placed  at  the  distance  of  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  apart. 
Yet  even  in  spite  of  this  added  precaution,  in  violent  gales  the 
roof  is  often  rapidly  denuded  of  its  shingles,  which  fill  the  air 
at  such  times  like  autumn  leaves. 

Fig.  64,  A,  represents  a portion  of  a shingled  roof  with 
courses  of  shingles  partially  laid,  and  a shingler’s  nail-box  held 
to  the  roof.  The  box  has  two  compartments,  — the  larger 
compartment  holding  the  bamboo  pegs ; and  the  smaller  con- 
taining iron  nails,  used  for  nailing  down  the  boards  and  for 
other  purposes. 

There  are  other  methods  of  shingling,  in  which  the  courses 
of  shingles  are  laid  very  closely  together,  and  also  in  many 
layers.  Remarkable  examples  of  this  method  may  be  seen  in 
some  of  the  temple  roofs,  and  particularly  in  the  roofs  of  certain 
temple  gateways  in  Kioto,  where  layers  of  the  thinnest  shingles, 
forming  a mass  a foot  or  more  in  thickness,  are  compactly  laid, 
with  the  many  graceful  contours  of  the  roof  delicately  preserved. 
The  edges  of  the  roof  are  beautifully  rounded,  and  the  eaves 
squarely  and  accurately  trimmed.  On  seeing  one  of  these  roofs 


82 


JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


one  is  reminded  of  a thatched  roof,  which  this  style  seems 
evidently  intended  to  imitate.  The  rich  brown  bark  of  the 
hi-no-ki  tree  is  also  used  in  a similar  way ; and  a very  compact 
and  durable  root  it  appears  to  make.  In  better  shingled  house- 
roofs  it  is  customary  to  secure  a wedge-shaped  piece  of  wood 
parallel  to  the  eaves,  to  which  the  first  three  or  four  rows 
of  shingles  are  nailed  ; other  courses  of  shingles  are  then  laid 


on  very  closely,  and  thus  a thicker  layer  of  shingles  is  secured 
(fig.  64,  B). 

But  little  variety  of  treatment  of  the  ridge  is  seen  in  a 
shingled  roof.  Two  narrow  weather-strips  of  wood  nailed  over 
the  ridge  answer  the  purpose  of  a joint,  as  is  customary  in 
our  shingled  roofs.  A more  thorough  way  is  to  nail  thin  strips 
of  wood  of  a uniform  length  directly  over  the  ridge  and  at 
right  angles  to  it.  These  strips  are  thin  enough  to  bend  readily. 
Five  or  six  layers  are  fastened  in  this  way,  and  then,  more 
firmly  to  secure  them  to  the  roof,  two  long  narrow  strips  of 
wood  or  bamboo  are  nailed  near  the  two  edges  of  this  mass, 
parallel  to  the  ridge  (fig.  65). 


SHINGLED  ROOFS. 


83 


The  shingled  roof  is  the  most  dangerous  element  of  house- 
structure  in  the  cities.  The  shingles  are  nothing  more  than 
thick  shavings,  and 
curved  and  warped 
by  the  sun  are  ready 
to  spring  into  a blaze 
by  the  contact  of  the 
first  spark  that  falls 
upon  them,  and  then 
to  he  sent  flying  by 
a high  wind  to  scat-  Fig.  (35.  — Ridge  of  Siiingle-roof  in  Musashi. 
ter  the  fire  for  miles. 

A.  very  stringent  law  should  be  passed,  prohibiting  the  use  of  such 
material  for  roofing  in  cities  and  large  villages. 

The  usual  form  of  gutter  for 
conveying  water  from  the  roof 
consists  of  a large  bamboo  split 
lengthwise,  with  the  natural  par- 
titions broken  away.  This  is 
held  to  the  eaves  by  iron  hooks, 
or  by  long  pieces  of  wood  nailed 
to  the  rafters,  — their  upper  edges 
being  notched,  in  which  the 
bamboo  rests.  This  leads  to  a 
conductor,  consisting  also  of  a 
bamboo,  in  which  the  natural 
partitions  have  likewise  been 
broken  through.  The  upper  end 
of  this  bamboo  is  cut  away  in 
such  a manner  as  to  leave  four 
long  spurs ; between  these  spurs 
a square  and  tapering  tunnel  of  thin  wood  is  forced,  — the 
elasticity  of  the  bamboo  holding  the  tunnel  in  place  (fig.  66). 


84  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Attention  lias  so  often  been  drawn,  in  books  of  travels, 
to  the  infinite  variety  of  ways  in  which  Eastern  nations  use 
the  bamboo,  that  any  reference  to  the  subject  here  would  be 
superfluous.  I can  only  say  that  the  importance  of  this  wonder- 
ful plant  in  their  domestic  economy  has  never  been  exaggerated. 
The  more  one  studies  the  ethnographical  peculiarities  of  the 
Japanese,  as  displayed  in  their  houses,  utensils,  and  countless 
other  fabrications,  the  more  fully  is  he  persuaded  that  they 
could  more  easily  surrender  the  many  devices  and  appliances 
adopted  from  European  nations,  than  to  abandon  the  ubiquitous 
bamboo. 

In  tiling  a roof,  the  boarded  roof  is  first  roughly  and  thinly 
shingled,  and  upon  this  surface  is  then  spread  a thick  layer 
of  mud,  into  which  the  tiles  are  firmly  bedded.  The  mud  is 
scooped  up  from  some  ditch  or  moat,  and  is  also  got  from 
the  canals.  In  the  city  one  often  sees  men  getting  the  mud 
for  this  purpose  from  the  deep  gutters  which  border  many  of 
the  streets.  This  is  kneaded  and  worked  with  hoe  and  spade 
till  it  acquires  the  consistency  of  thick  dough.  In  conveying 
this  mass  to  the  roof  no  hod  is  used.  The  material  is  worked 
into  large  lumps  by  the  laborer,  and  these  are  tossed,  one  after 
another,  to  a man  who  stands  on  a staging  or  ladder,  who 
in  turn  pitches  it  to  the  man  on  the  roof,  or,  if  the  roof  be 
high,  to  another  man  on  a still  higher  staging.  The  mud 
having  been  got  to  the  roof,  is  then  spread  over  it  in  a thick 
and  even  layer.  Into  this  the  tiles  are  then  bedded,  row  after 
row.  There  seems  to  be  no'  special  adhesion  of  the  tiles  to 
this  substratum  of  mud,  and  high  gales  often  cause  great  havoc 
to  a roof  of  this  nature.  In  the  case  of  a conflagration,  when 
it  becomes  necessary  to  tear  down  buildings  in  its  path,  the 
firemen  appear  to  have  no  difficulty  in  shovelling  the  tiles  off 
a roof  with  ease  and  rapidity. 


TILED  ROOFS. 


85 


The  ridge-pole  often  presents  an  imposing  combination  of 
tiles  and  plaster  piled  up  in  square  ridges  and  in  many  orna- 
mental ways.  In  a hip-roof  the  four  ridges  are  also  made  thick 
and  ponderous  by  successive  layers  of  tiles  being  built  up,  and 
forming  great  square  ribs.  In  large  fire-proof  buildings  the 
ridge  may  be  carried  up  to  a height  of  three  or  four  feet. 
In  such  ridges  white  plaster  is  freely  used,  not  only  as  a cement, 
but  as  a medium  in  which  the  artist  works  out  various  designs 
in  higli-relief.  One  of  the  most  favorite  subjects  selected  is 
that  of  dashing  and  foaming  waves.  A great  deal  of  art  and 


skill  is  often  displayed  in  the  working  out  of  this  design,  — 
which  is  generally  very  conventional,  though  at  times  great 
freedom  of  expression  is  shown  in  the  work.  It  certainly  seems 
an  extraordinary  design  for  the  crest  of  a roof,  though  giving 
a very  light  and  buoyant  appearance  to  what  would  otherwise 
appear  top-heavy.  Fig.  67  is  a very  poor  sketch  of  the  appear- 
ance of  this  kind  of  a ridy;e.  From  the  common  occurrence 
of  this  design,  it  would  seem  as  if  some  sentiment  or  super- 
stition led  to  using  this  watery  subject  as  suggesting  a protection 
from  fire ; whether  this  be  so  or  not,  one  may  often  notice 
at  the  end  of  the  ridge  in  the  thatched  roofs  in  the  country 


8G  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


the  Chinese  character  for  water  deeply  cut  in  the  straw  and 
blackened  (fig.  82),  — and  this  custom,  I was  told,  originated  in 
a superstition  that  the  character  for  water  afforded  a protection 
against  fire. 


The  tiled  ridges  always  terminate  in  a shouldered  mass  of 
tiles  specially  designed  for  the  purpose.  The  smaller  ribs  of  tiles 
that  run  down  to  the  eaves,  along  the  ridges  in  a hip-roof, 
or  border  the  verge  in  a gable-roof,  often  terminate  in  some 
ornamental  tile  in  high-relief.  The  design  may  be  that  of  a 


TILED  ROOFS. 


87 


mask,  the  head  of  a devil,  or  some  such  form.  In  the  heavier 
ridges  much  ingenuity  and  art  are  shown  in  the  arrangement 
of  semi-cylindrical  or  other  shaped  tiles  in  conventional  pat- 
tern. Figs.  68,  69,  70  will  illustrate  some  of  the  designs  made 
in  this  way.  These  figures,  however,  represent  copings  of  walls 
in  Yamato. 

Many  of  the  heavier  ridges  are  deceptive,  the  main  body 
consisting  of  a frame  of  wood  plastered  over,  and  having  the 
appearance  externally  of  being  a solid  mass  of  tile  and  plaster 
The  tiles  that  border  the  eaves  are  specially  designed  for  the 
purpose.  The  tile  has  the  form  of  the  ordinary  tile,  but  its 
free  edge  is  turned  down  at  right  angles  and  ornamented  with 
some  conventional  de- 
sign. Fig.  71  illus- 
trates this  form  of  tile. 

In  the  long  panel  a 
design  of  flowers  or 
conventional  scrolls  in 
relief  is  often  seen. 

The  circular  portion  Eig.  71. — Eaves  of  Tiled  Roof. 

generally  contains  the 

crest  of  some  family : the  crest  of  the  Tokugawa  family  is  rarely 
seen  on  tiles  (see  fig.  73). 

In  the  better  class  of  tiled  roof  it  is  common  to  point  off 
with  white  mortar  the  joints  between  the  rows  of  tiles  near 
the  eaves,  and  also  next  the  ridge ; and  oftentimes  the  entire 
roof  is  treated  in  this  manner.  In  some  photographs  of  Korean 
houses  taken  by  Percival  Lowell,  Esq.,  the  same  method  of 
closing  the  seams  of  the  bordering  rows  of  tiles  with  white 
plaster  is  shown. 

The  older  a tile  is,  the  better  it  is  considered  for  roofing 
purposes.  My  attention  was  called  to  this  fact  by  a friend 
stating  to  me  with  some  pride  that  the  tiles  used  in  his  house, 


88  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


just  constructed,  were  over  forty  years  old.  Second-hand  tiles 
therefore  are  always  in  greater  demand.  A new  tile,  being  very 
porous  and  absorbent,  is  not  considered  so  good  as  one  in  which 

time  has  allowed  the 
dust  and  dirt  to  fill 
the  minute  interstices, 
thus  rendering  it  a 
better  material  for 
shedding  water. 

A tiled  roof  cannot 
be  very  expensive,  as 
one  finds  it  very  com- 
mon in  the  cities  and 
Fig.  72.  — Nagasaki  Tiled  Roof.  larger  villages.  Tile 

price  of  good  tiles  for 
roofing  purposes  is  five  yen  for  one  hundred  (one  yen  at  par 
equals  one  dollar).  Cheap  ones  can  be  got  for  from  two  and 
one-half  yen  to  three  yen  for  one  hundred.  In  another  measure- 


Fig.  73.  — ITon-gawara,  or  True  Tile. 

ment,  a tsubo  of  tiles,  which  covers  an  area  of  six  feet  square, 
can  be  laid  for  from  two  and  one-lialf  to  three  yen. 

The  form  of  tile  varies  in  different  parts  of  Japan.  The 
tile  in  common  use  in  Nagasaki  (fig.  72,  A)  is  similar  in  form 


TILED  ROOFS. 


89 


Eig.  74.  — Yedo-gawara,  ok,  Yedo-tile 
Eaves. 


to  those  used  in  China,  Korea,  Singapore,  and  Europe.  These 
tiles  are  slightly  curved,  and  are  laid  with  their  convex  surface 
downwards.  Another  form  of  tile,  narrower  and  semi-cylindrical 
in  section,  is  laid  with  its  convex 
side  upwards,  covering  the  seams 
between  the  lower  rows  of  tiles. 

This  is  evidently  the  most  ancient 
form  of  tile  in  the  East,  and  in 

Japan  is  known  by  the  name  of  hon-gawara,  or  true  tile.  Fig. 
73  represents  the  form  of  the  hon-gawara  used  in  Tokio. 

The  most  common  form 
of  tile  used  in  Tokio  is  rep- 
resented in  fig.  71,  called  the 
yedo-gawara,  or  yedo  tile. 
With  this  tile  the  upper  con- 
vex tile  is  dispensed  with, 
as  the  tile  is  constructed  in 
such  a way  as  to  lap  over 
the  edge  of  the  one  next  to 
it.  Fig.  74  illustrates  the 
eaves  of  a roof  in  which  a 
yedo  tile  is  used,  having  the 
bordering  tiles  differing  in 


form  from  those  shown  in  fig.  71.  A modification  of  this  form 
is  seen  farther  south  in  Japan  (fig.  72,  B),  and  also  in  Java. 

A new  form  of 
tile,  called  the  French 
tile,  has  been  intro- 
duced into  Tokio 
within  a few  years  Fl(J  76._Imi  Tile  fob  Ridgi, 

(fig.  75).  It  is  not 

in  common  use,  however ; and  I can  recall  only  a few  build- 
ings roofed  with  this  tile.  These  are  the  warehouses  of  the 


90  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Mitsu  Bishi  Steamship  Company  near  the  post-office,  a building 
hack  of  the  Art  Museum  at  Uyeno,  and  a few  private  houses. 

Other  forms  of  tiles  are  made  for  special  purposes.  In  the 
province  of  Iwami,  for  example,  a roof-shaped  tile  is  made  spe- 
cially for  covering  the  ridge  of  thatched  roofs  (fig.  76,  A). 
The  true  tile  is  also  used  for  the  same  purpose  (fig.  76,  B). 

In  this  province  the  tiles  are  glazed,  — the  common  tiles  be- 
ing covered  with  a brown  glaze,  while  the  best  tiles  are  glazed 
with  iron  sand.  In  digging  the  foundations  for  a library  building 
at  Uyeno  Park,  a number  of  large  glazed  tiles  were  dug  up  which 
were  supposed  to  have  been  brought  from  the  province  of  Bizen 
two  hundred  years  ago.  These  were  of  the  hon-gawara  pattern. 


In  the  province  of  Shimotsuke,  and  doubtless  in  adjacent 
provinces,  stone  hum  (fire-proof  store-houses)  are  seen ; and  these 
buildings  often  have  roofs  of  the  same  material.  The  stone 
appears  to  be  a light-gray  volcanic  tufa,  and  is  easily  wrought. 
The  slabs  of  stone  covering  the  roof  are  wrought  into  definite 
shapes,  so  that  the  successive  rows  overlap  and  interlock  in 
a way  that  gives  the  appearance  of  great  solidity  and  strength. 
Fig.  77  illustrates  a portion  of  a roof  of  this  description  seen 
on  the  road  to  Nikko.  I was  told  by  a Korean  friend  that 
stone  roofs  were  also  to  be  found  in  the  northern  part  of  Korea, 
though  whether  made  in  this  form  could  not  be  ascertained. 


THATCHED  HOOFS. 


91 


The  thatched  roof  is  by  far  the  most  common  form  of  roof 
in  Japan,  outside  the  cities.  The  slopes  of  the  roof  vary  but 
little ; but  in  the  design  and  structure  of  the  ridge  the  greatest 
variety  of  treatment  is  seen.  South  of  Tokio  each  province 
seems  to  have  its  own  peculiar  style  of  ridge  ; at  least,  as  the 
observant  traveller  passes  from  one  province  to  another  his 
attention  is  attracted  by  a new  form  of  ridge,  which  though 
occasionally  seen  in  other  provinces  appears  to  be  characteristic 
of  that  particular  province.  This  is  probably  due  to  the  partially 
isolated  life  of  the  provinces  in  feudal  times ; for  the  same  may 
be  said  also  in  regard  to  the  pottery  and  many  other  products 
of  the  provinces. 

For  thatching,  various  materials  are  employed.  For  the 
commonest  thatching,  straw  is  used ; better  kinds  of  thatch  are 
made  of  a grass  called  Kaya.  A kind  of  reed  called  yoshi 
is  used  for  this  purpose,  and  also  certain  species  of  rush.  The 
roof  requires  no  special  preparation  to  receive  the  thatch,  save 
that  the  rafters  and  frame-work  shall  be  close  enough  together 
properly  to  secure  and  support  it.  If  the  roof  be  small,  a 
bamboo  frame- work  is  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 

The  thatch  is  formed  in  suitable  masses,  combed  with  the 
fingers  and  otherwise  arranged  so  that  the  straws  all  point  in 
the  same  direction.  These  masses  are  then  secured  to  the 
rafters  and  bound  down  to  the  roof  by  bamboo  poles  (fig.  78,  A ), 
which  are  afterwards  removed.  While  the  thatch  is  bound 
down  in  this  way  it  is  beaten  into  place  by  a wooden  mallet 
of  peculiar  shape  (fig.  78,  B).  The  thatch  is  then  trimmed 
into  shape  by  a pair  of  long-handled  shears  (fig.  78,  C)  similar 
to  the  shears  used  for  trimming  grass  in  our  country. 

This  is  only  the  barest  outline  of  the  process  of  thatching ; 
there  are  doubtless  many  other  processes  which  I did  not  see. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  however,  that  when  a roof  is  finished  it  presents 
a clean,  trim,  and  symmetrical  appearance,  which  seems  sur- 


92  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

prising  when  the  nature  of  the  material  is  considered.  The 
eaves  are  trimmed  off  square  or  slightly  rounding,  and  are 
often  very  thick,  — being  sometimes  two  feet  or  more  in  thick- 
ness. This  does  not  indicate,  however,  that  the  thatch  is  of 
the  same  thickness  throughout.  The  thatch  trimmed  in  these 
various  ways  is  thus  seen  in  section,  and  one  will  often  notice  at 
this  section  successive  layers  of  light  and  dark  thatch.  Whether 


it  is  old  thatch  worked  in  with  the  new  for  the  sake  of 
economy,  or  different  kinds  of  thatching  material,  I did  not 
ascertain. 

In  old  roofs  the  thatch  becomes  densely  filled  with  soot  and 
dust,  and  workmen  engaged  in  repairing  such  roofs  have  the 
appearance  of  coal-heavers.  While  a good  deal  of  skill  and 
patience  is  required  to  thatch  a roof  evenly  and  properly,  vastly 
more  skill  must  be  required  to  finish  the  ridge,  which  is  often 
very  intricate  in  its  structure ; and  of  these  peculiar  ridges  there 


THATCHED  ROOFS. 


93 


are  a number  of  prominent  types.  In  presenting  these  types, 
more  reliance  will  be  placed  on  the  sketches  to  convey  a general 
idea  of  their  appearance  than  on  descriptions. 

In  that  portion  of  Japan  lying  north  of  Tokio  the  ridge  is 
much  more  simple  in  its  construction  than  are  those  found  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  Empire.  The  roofs  are  larger,  but  their 
ridges,  with  some  exceptions,  do  not  show  the  artistic  features, 
or  that  variety  in  form  and  appearance,  that  one  sees  in  the 
ridges  of  the  southern  thatched  roof.  In  many  cases  the  ridge 
is  flat,  and  this  area  is  made  to  support  a luxuriant  growth 
of  iris,  or  the  red  lily  (fig.  41).  A most  striking  feature  is 
often  seen  in  the  appearance  of  a brown  sombre-colored  village, 
wherein  all  the  ridges  are  aflame  with  the  bright-red  blossoms 

O o 


of  the  lily ; or  farther  south,  near  Tokio,  where  the  purer 
colors  of  the  blue  and  white  iris  form  floral  crests  of  exceeding 
beauty. 

In  some  cases  veri- 
table ridge-poles,  with 
their  ends  freely  pro- 
jecting beyond  the  ga- 
ble and  wrought  in  a 

O 

gentle  upward  curve, 
are  seen  (fig.  39). 

This  treatment  of  the 
free  ends  of  beams  in 

ridge-poles,  gateways,  and  other  structures,  notably  in  certain 
forms  of  tori-i,1  is  a common  feature  in  Japanese  architecture, 
and  is  effective  in  giving  a light  and  buoyant  appearance  to 
what  might  otherwise  appear  heavy  and  commonplace. 

At  Fujita,  in  Iwaki,  and  other  places  in  that  region,  a 
roof  is  often  seen  which  shows  the  end  of  a round  ridge-pole 


1 A structure  of  stone  or  wood,  not  unlike  the  naked  frame-work  of  a gate,  erected 
. in  front  of  shrines  and  temples. 


94  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEDl  SURROUNDINGS. 


Fig.  80. 


■ Tiled  Ridge  oe  Thatched  Roof  in 

IWAKL 


projecting  through  the  thatch  at  the  gable-peak;  and  at  this 
point  a flat  spur  of  wood  springs  up  from  the  ridge,  to  which  is 
attached,  at  right  angles,  a structure  made  of  plank  and  painted 
black,  which  projects  two  feet  or  more  beyond  the  gable.  This 
appears  to  be  a survival  of  an  exterior  ridge-pole,  and  is  retained 

from  custom.  Its  appear- 
ance, however,  is  decid- 
edly flimsy  and  insecure, 
and  from  its  weak  mode 
of  attachment  it  must  be 
at  the  mercy  of  every 
high  gale  (fig.  79).  After 
getting  south  of  Sendai, 
ridges  composed  of  tile  are  often  to  be  seen,  — becoming  more 
common  as  one  approaches  Tokio.  The  construction  of  this 
kind  of  ridge  is  very  simple  and  effective ; semi-cylindrical 
tiles,  or  the  wider  forms  of  hon-gawara,  are  used  for  the  crest, 
and  these  in  turn  cap  a row  of  similar  tiles  placed  on  either 
side  of  the  ridge  (fig.  80).  The  tiles  appear  to  be  bedded  in 
a layer  of  clay  or 
mud  and  chopped 
straw,  which  is  first 
piled  on  to  the 
In 


thatched  ridge. 

a large 


some  cases 
bamboo  holds  the 
lower  row  of  tiles  in  Fig.  81.  — Tiled  Ridge  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Musas  hi. 

place  (fig.  81).  What 

other  means  there  are  of  holding  the  tiles  I did  not  learn. 
They  must  lie  fairly  secure,  however,  as  it  is  rare  to  see  them 
displaced,  even  in  old  roofs. 

A very  neat  and  durable  ridge  (fig.  82)  is  common  in  Musashi 
and  neighboring  provinces.  This  ridge  is  widely  rounded.  It 


THATCHED  ROOFS. 


05 

is  first  covered  with  a layer  of  small  bamboos ; then  narrow 
bands  of  bamboo  or  bark  are  bent  over  the  ridge  at  short 
intervals,  and  these  are  kept  in  place  by  long  bamboo-strips 
or  entire  bamboos,  which  run  at  intervals  parallel  to  the  ridge. 
These  are  firmly  bound  down  to  the  thatch.  In  some  cases 
these  outer  bamboos  form  a continuous  layer.  The  ends  of 
the  ridge,  showing  a mass  of  projecting  thatch  in  section,  are 
abruptly  cut  vertically,  and  the  free  border  is  rounded  in 
a bead-like  moulding  and  closely  bound  by  bamboo,  appearing 
like  the  edge  of  a thick  basket.  This  finish  is  done  in  the 


most  thorough  and  workman-like  manner.  It  is  upon  the  trun- 
cate end  of  this  kind  of  a ridge  that  the  Chinese  character 
for  water  is  often  seen,  allusion  to  which  has  already  been 
made. 

When  there  is  no  window  at  the  end  of  the  roof  for  the 
egress  of  smoke,  the  roof  comes  under  the  class  of  hip-roofs. 
In  the  northern  provinces  the  opening  for  the  smoke  is  built 
in  various  ways  upon  the  ridge  or  side  of  the  roof.  By  referring 
to  figs.  39,  40,  41,  various  methods  of  providing  for  this  window 
may  be  seen. 

Smoke-outlets  do  occur  at  the  ends  of  the  roof  in  the  north, 
as  may  be  seen  by  referring  to  fig.  44.  The  triangular  opening 
for  the  outlet  of  smoke  is  a characteristic  feature  of  the  thatched 


JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


roofs  south  of  To- 
kio ; on  some  of 
them  a great  deal 
of  study  and  skill 
is  bestowed  by 
the  architect  and 
builder.  Some- 
times an  addition- 
al gable  is  seen, 
with  its  triangu- 
lar window  (fig. 
83).  This  sketch 
represents  the 
roof  of  a gentle- 
man’s house  near 
Tokio,  and  is  a 
most  beautiful  ex- 
ample of  the  best 
form  of  thatched 
roof  in  Musashi. 
Another  grand 
old  roof  of  a dif- 
ferent type  is 
shown  in  fig.  81. 
Where  these  tri- 
angular windows 
occur  the  opening 
is  protected  by  a 
lattice  of  wood. 
The  roof  partakes 
of  the  double  na- 
ture of  a gable 
and  hip  roof  com- 
bined, — the  win- 


THATCHED  ROOFS. 


97 


clow  being  in  the  gable  part,  from  the  base  of  which  runs  the 
slope  of  the  hip-roof. 

Great  attention  is  given  to  the  proper  and  symmetrical  trim- 
ming of  the  thatch  at  the  eaves  and  at  the  edges  of  the 
gable.  By  referring  to  figs.  83  and  84  some  idea  may  be  got 
of  the  clever  way  in  which  this  is  managed.  Oftentimes,  at  the 
peak  of  the  gable,  a cone-like  enlargement  with  a circular  de- 
pression is  curiously  shaped  out  of  the  thatch  (fig.  84).  A good 
deal  of  skill  is  also  shown  in  bringing  the  thick  edges  of  the 


Fig.  84.  — Tiiatched  Roof,  near  Tokio.1 


eaves,  which  are  on  different  levels,  together  in  graceful  curves. 
An  example  of  this  kind  may  be  seen  in  fig.  39. 

In  Musashi  a not  uncommon  form  of  ridge  is  seen,  in  which 
there  is  an  external  ridge-pole  wrought  like  the  upper  transverse 
beam  of  a tori-i.  This  beam  has  a vertical  thickness  of  twice 
or  three  times  its  width ; resting  transversely  upon  it,  and  at 
short  intervals,  are  a number  of  wooden  structures  shaped  like 
the  letter  X,  — the  lower  ends  of  these  pieces  resting  on  the 

1 This  sketch  was  made  from  a photograph  taken  for  this  work,  at  the  suggestion 
of  Dr.  W.  S.  Bigelow,  by  Percival  Lowell,  Esq. 

7 


98  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


slopes  of  the  roof,  the  upper  ends  projecting  above  the  ridge- 
pole. The  ridge  at  this  point  is  matted  with  bark ; and  running 
parallel  with  the  ridge  a few  bamboos  are  fastened,  upon  which 
these  cross-beams  rest,  and  to  which  they  are  secured  (fig.  45). 

Modifications  of  this  form  of  ridge  occur  in  a number  of  south- 
ern provinces,  and  ridges  very  similar  to  this  I saw  in  Saigon  and 
Cholon,  in  Anam.  The  curious  Shin-to  temple,  at  Kamijiyama,  in 
Ise,  said  to  be  modelled  after  very  ancient  types  of  roof,  has 
the  end-rafters  of  the  gable  continuing  through  the  roof  and 


beyond  the  peak  to  a considerable  distance.  It  was  interesting 
to  see  precisely  the  same  features  in  some  of  the  Malay  houses 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Singapore.  In  Musashi,  and  farther 
south,  a ridge  is  seen  of  very  complex  structure,  — the  entire 
ridge  forming  a kind  of  supplementary  roof,  its  edges  thick  and 
squarely  trimmed,  and  presenting  the  appearance  of  a smaller 
roof  having  been  made  independently  and  dropped  upon  the 
large  roof  like  a saddle.  This  style  of  roof,  with  many  modifi- 
cations, is  very  common  in  Yamashiro,  Mikawa,  and  neighboring 
provinces.  A very  elaborate  roof  of  this  description  is  shown  in 


THATCHED  ROOFS. 


99 


fig.  85.  This  roof  was  sketched  in  Kabutoyama,  a village  nearly 
fifty  miles  west  of  Tokio.  In  this  ridge  the  appearance  of  a sup- 
plementary roof  is  rendered  more  apparent  by  the  projection 
beneath  of  what  appears  to  be  a ridge-pole,  and  also  parallel 
sticks  of  the  roof  proper.  This  roof  had  a remarkably  picturesque 
and  substantial  appearance.  This  style  of  roof  is  derived  from 
temple  architecture. 

A very  simple  form  of  ridge  is  common  in  the  province  of 
Omi ; this  is  made  of  thin  pieces  of  board,  three  feet  or  more  in 
length,  secured  on  each  slope  of  the  roof  and  at  right  angles  to 
the  ridge ; and  these  are  bound  down  by  long  strips  of  wood,  two- 


resting  across  the  ridge,  and  another  strip  resting  on  the  lower 
edge  of  the  boards  (fig.  86).  In  the  provinces  of  Omi  and  Owari 
tiled  ridges  are  often  seen,  and  some  ridges  in  which  wood  and 
tile  are  combined.  At  Takatsuki-mura,  in  Setsu,  a curious  ridge 
prevails.  The  ridge  is  very  steep,  and  is  covered  by  a close  mat 
of  bamboo,  with  saddles  of  tiles  placed  at  intervals  along  the 
ridge  (fig-  87).  A very  picturesque  form  of  ridge  occurs  in  the 
province  of  Mikawa ; the  roof  is  a hip-roof,  with  the  ridge-roof 
having  a steep  slope  trimmed  off  squarely  at  the  eaves.  On  this- 
portion  strips  of  brown  bark  are  placed  across  the  ridge,  resting 
on  the  slopes  of  the  roof  ; a number  of  bamboos  rest  on  the  bark, 
parallel  to  the  ridge ; on  the  top  of  these,  stout,  semi-cylindrical 
saddles,  sometimes  sheathed  with  bark,  rest  across  the  ridge,  with 


100  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TI1EIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

an  interspace  of  three  or  four  feet  between  them.  Fig.  88  repre- 
sents a roof  with  three  of  these  saddles,  which  is  the  usual  number. 
These  saddles  are  firmly  bound  to  the  roof,  and  on  their  crests 
and  directly  over  the  ridge  a long  bamboo  is  secured  by  a black- 
fibred  cord,  which  is  tied  to  the  ridge  between  each  saddle.  The 
smoke-outlet  at  the  end  of  the  ridge-gable  is  protected  by  a mass 
of  straw  hanging  down  from  the  apex  of  the  window,  in  shape 


Fig.  87.  — Tile  and  Bamboo  Ridge  oe  Thatched  Roof,  Takatsuki,  Setsu. 


and  appearance  very  much  like  a Japanese  straw  rain-coat.  The 
smoke  filters  out  through  this  curtain,  though  the  rain  cannot 
beat  in. 

Roofs  of  a somewhat  similar  construction  may  be  seen  in 
other  provinces.  In  the  suburbs  of  Kioto  a form  of  roof 

and  ridge,  after  a similar  design,  may  be  often  seen.  In  this 

form  the  supplementary  roof  is  more  sharply  defined  ; the 
corners  of  it  are  slightly  turned  up  as  in  the  temple-roof.  To 

be  more  definite,  the  main  roof,  which  is  a hip-roof,  has  built 

upon  it  a low  upper-roof,  which  is  a gable ; and  upon  this 
rests,  like  a separate  structure,  a continuous  saddle  of  thatch, 
having  upon  its  back  a few  bamboos  running  longitudinally, 


THATCHED  ROOFS. 


101 


and  across  the  whole  a number  of  thick  narrow  saddles  of  thatch 
sheathed  with  bark,  and  over  all  a long  bamboo  bound  to  the 
ridge  with  cords  (fig.  89).  These  roofs,  broad  and  thick  eaved„ 


Pig.  S8.  — Crest  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Mikawa. 


with  their  deep-set,  heavily  latticed  smoke-windows,  and  the 
warm  brown  thatch,  form  a pleasing  contrast  to  the  thin-shingled 
roofs  of  the  poorer  neighboring  houses. 


Another  form  of  Mikawa  roof,  very  simple  and  plain  in 
structure,  is  shown  in  fig.  90.  Here  the  ridge-roof  is  covered 
with  a continuous  sheathing  of  large  bamboos,  with  rafter-poles 
at  the  ends  coming  through  the  thatch  and  projecting  beyond 
the  peak. 

In  the  provinces  of  Kii  and  Yainato  the  forms  of  ridges 


102  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

are  generally  very  simple.  In  one  form,  common  in  the  province 
of  Kii,  the  ridge-roof,  which  has  a much  sharper  incline  than 

the  roof  proper,  is 
covered  with  bark, 
this  being  bound 
down  by  parallel 
strips,  or  whole 
rods  of  bamboo ; 
and  spanning  the 
ridge  at  intervals 
Fig.  90.  — Chest  of  Thatched  Hoof  in  Mikavya.  are  straw  saddles 

sheathed  with  bark. 

These  are  very  narrow  at  the  ridge,  but  widen  at  their  extremities. 

The  smoke-outlet  is  a small  triangular  opening  (fig.  91).  In 
the  province  of  Yarnato  there  are  two  forms  of  roof  very  common. 
In  one  of  these  the  roof  is  a gable,  the  end-walls,  plastered 


Fig.  91.  — Crest  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Kii. 


with  clay  and  chopped  straw,  projecting  above  the  roof  a foot 
or  more,  and  capped  with  a simple  row  of  tiles  (fig.  92),  — tire 
ridse  in  this  roof  being;  made  as  in  the  last  one  described.  In 
another  form  of  roof  with  a similar  ridge,  the  thatch  on  die 


THATCHED  ROOFS. 


103 


slopes  of  the  roof  is  trimmed  in  such  a way  as  to  present 
the  appearance  of  a series  of  thick  layers,  resting  one  upon 
another  like  shingles,  only  each  lap  being  eighteen  inches  to 
two  feet  apart,  with  thick  edges.  It  was  interesting  and  curious 
to  find  in  the  ancient  province  of  Yamato  this  peculiar  treat- 
ment of  the  slopes  of  a thatched  roof,  precisely  like  certain 
roofs  seen  anions;  the  houses  of  the  Ainos  of  Yezo. 

In  the  provinces  of  Totomi  and  Suruga  a form  of  ridge 
was  observed,  unlike  any  encountered  elsewhere  in  Japan.  The 


Fig.  92.  — Thatched  Roof  in  Yamato. 


ridge-roof  was  large  and  sharply  angular.  Resting  upon  the 
thatch,  from  the  ridge-pole  half  way  down  to  the  main  roof, 
were  bamboos  placed  side  by  side,  parallel  to  the  ridge.  Upon 
this  layer  of  bamboos  were  wide  saddles  of  bark  a foot  or 
more  in  length,  with  an  interspace  of  nearly  two  feet  between 
each  saddle,  these  reaching  down  to  the  main  roof.  On  each 
side  of  the  ridge-roof,  and  running  parallel  to  the  ridge,  were 
large  bamboo  poles  resting  on  the  saddles,  and  bound  down 
firmly  with  cords.  On  the  sharp  crest  of  the  roof  rested  a 
long  round  ridge-pole.  This  pole  was  kept  in  place  by  wide 


104  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TTIEIIi  SURROUNDINGS. 


bamboo  slats,  bent  abruptly  into  a yoke,  in  shape  not  unlike 
a pair  of  sugar-tongs,  and  these  spanning  the  pole  were  thrust 
obliquely  into  the  thatch.  These  were  placed  in  pairs  and  cross- 
wise in  the  interspaces  between  the  bark  saddles.  On  the  ends 
of  the  ridge  there  were  two  bamboo  yokes  together.  The  sketch 
oi  this  roof  (fig.  93)  will  give  a much  clearer  idea  of  its  appear- 
ance and  structure  than  any  description.  This  style  of  roof  was 
unique,  and  appeared  to  be  very  strong  and  durable. 


Fig.  93.  — Crest  of  Thatched  Roof  in  Totomi. 


In  the  province  of  Ise  a simple  type  of  roof  was  seen  (fig.  94). 
The  ridge-roof  was  quite  low,  sheathed  with  bark  and  bound 
down  with  a number  of  bamboos.  At  the  gable  were  round 
masses  of  thatch  covered  with  bark,  which  formed  an  ornamental 
moulding  at  the  verge.1 

In  the  province  of  Osumi,  on  the  eastern  side  of  Kagoshima 
Gulf,  the  vertical  walls  of  the  buildings  are  very  low ; but  these 
support  thatched  roofs  of  ponderous  proportions.  These  roofs 

1 We  have  characterized  as  a ridge-roof  that  portion  which  has  truncate  ends,  — in 
other  words,  the  form  of  a gable,  — and  which  receives  special  methods  of  treatment. 
The  line  of  demarcation  between  the  long  reach  of  thatch  of  the  roof  proper  and  the 
iidge-roof  is  very  distinct. 


THATCHED  ROOFS. 


105 


are  somewhat  steeper  than  the  northern  roof,  and  their  ridges 
are  wide  and  bluntly  rounded.  The  ends  of  the  ridge  are  fin- 
ished with  a wide  matting  of  bamboo,  and  this  material  is  used 
in  binding  down  the  ridge  itself  (fig.  54). 

There  are  doubtless  many  other  forms  of  thatched  roof,  but  it 
is  believed  that  the  examples  given  present  the  leading  types. 

As  one  becomes  familiar  with  the  picturesqueness  and  diversify 
in  the  Japanese  roof  and  ridge,  he  wonders  why  the  architects 
of  our  own  country  have  not  seen  fit  to  extend  their  taste 
and  ingenuity  to  the  roof,  as  well  as  to  the  sides  of  the  house. 


There  is  no  reason  why  the  ridge  of  an  ordinary  wooden  house 
should  invariably  be  composed  of  two  narrow  weather-strips, 
or  why  the  roof  itself  should  always  be  stiff,  straight,  and 
angular.  Certainly  our  rigorous  climate  can  be  no  excuse  for 
this,  for  on  the  upper  St.  John,  and  in  the  northern  part  of 
Maine,  oue  sees  the  wooden  houses  of  the  French  Canadians 
having  roofs  widely  projecting,  with  the  eaves  gracefully  turn- 
ing upward,  presenting  a much  prettier  appearance  than  does 
the  stiff  angular  roof  of  the  New  England  house. 

It  is  indeed  a matter  of  wonder  that  some  one  in  building  a 
house  in  this  country  does  not  revert  to  a thatched  roof.  Our 
architectural  history  shows  an  infinite  number  of  reversions,  and 
if  a thatched  roof  were  again  brought  into  vogue,  a new  charm 
would  be  added  to  our  landscape.  The  thatched  roof  is  pictur- 
esque and  warm,  and  makes  a good  rain-shed.  In  Japan  an 


106  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THE  IB.  SUBROUNDINGS. 


ordinary  thatched  roof  will  remain  in  good  condition  from  fif- 
teen to  twenty  years ; and  I have  been  told  that  the  best  kinds 
of  thatched  roof  will  endure  for  fifty  years,  though  this  seems 
incredible.  As  they  get  weather-worn  they  are  often  patched 
and  repaired,  and  finally  have  to  be  entirely  renewed.  Old 
roofs  become  filled  with  dust,  assume  a dark  color,  and  get 
matted  down ; plants,  weeds,  and  mosses  of  various  kinds  grow 
upon  them,  as  well  as  masses  of  gray  lichen.  When  properly 
constructed  they  shed  water  very  promptly,  and  do  not  get  water- 
soaked,  as  one  might  suppose. 


It  is  customary  in  the  better  class  of  houses  having  thatched 
roofs  to  pave  the  ground  with  small  cobble-stones,  for  a breadth 
of  two  feet  or  more  immediately  below  the  eaves,  to  catch  the 
drip,  as  in  a thatched  roof  it  is  difficult  to  adjust  any  sort  of  a 
gutter  or  water-conductor.  Fig.  95  illustrates  the  appearance  of 
the  paved  space  about  a house,  the  roof  of  which  is  shown  in 
fig.  85. 

The  translation  of  the  terms  applied  to  many  parts  of  the  house 
is  quite  curious  and  interesting.  The  word  mane , signifying  the 


THATCHED  ROOFS. 


10T 


ridge  of  the  house,  has  the  same  meaning  as  with  us ; the  same- 
word  is  applied  to  the  back  of  a sword  and  to  the  ridge  of  a moun- 
tain. In  Korea  the  ridge  of  the  thatched  roof  is  braided,  or  at 
least  the  thatch  seems  to  be  knotted  or  braided  at  this  point ; and 
the  Korean  word  for  the  ridge  means  literally  back-bone,  from  its 
resemblance  to  the  back-bone  of  a fish. 

In  Japan  the  roof  of  a house  is  called  yane.  Now,  yane  liter- 
ally means  house-root ; but  how  such  a term  could  be  applied  to  the 
roof  is  a mystery.  I have  questioned  many  intelligent  Japanese 
in  regard  to  this  word,  and  have  never  received  any  satisfactory 
answer  as  to  the  reason  of  its  application  to  the  roof  of  a house. 
A Korean  friend  has  suggested  that  the  name  might  have  been 
applied  through  association : a tree  without  a root  dies,  and  a 
house  without  a roof  decays.  He  also  told  me  that  the  Chinese 
character  ne  meant  origin. 

In  Korea  the  foundation  of  a house  is  called  the  foot  of  the 
house,  and  the  foundation  stones  are  called  shoe-stones. 

The  Japanese  word  for  ceiling  is  ten-jo,  — literally,  u heaven’s 
well.”  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  root  of  both  words, 
ceiling  and  ten-jo , means  “ heaven.” 


CHAPTER  III. 


INTERIORS. 

General  Description.  — Plans.  — Mats.  — Sliding  Screens.  — Pustjma.  — Hikite.  — 
Shoji.  — Tokonoma.  — Chigai-dana.  — Tea-rooms.  — Kura.  — Ceilings.  — Walls. 
— Ramma.  ■ — Windows.  • — Portable  Screens. 

THE  interior  of  a Japanese  house  is  so  simple  in  its  con- 
struction, and  so  unlike  anything  to  which  we  are  accus- 
tomed in  the  arrangement  of  details  of  interiors  in  this  country, 
that  it  is  difficult  to  find  terms  of  comparison  in  attempting  to 
describe  it.  Indeed,  without  the  assistance  of  sketches  it  would 
be  almost  impossible  to  give  a clear  idea  of  the  general  appear- 
ance, and  more  especially  the  details,  of  Japanese  house-interiors. 
We  shall  therefore  mainly  rely  on  the  various  figures,  with  such 
aid  as  description  may  render. 

The  first  thing  that  impresses  one  on  entering  a Japanese 
house  is  the  small  size  and  low  stud  of  the  rooms.  The  ceiling’s 
are  so  low  that  in  many  cases  one  can  easily  touch  them,  and 
in  going  from  one  room  to  another  one  is  apt  to  strike  his 
head  against  the  kamoi,  or  lintel.  He  notices  also  the  con- 
structive features  everywhere  apparent,  — in  the  stout  wooden 
posts,  supports,  cross-ties,  etc.  The  rectangular  shape  of  the 
rooms,  and  the  general  absence  of  all  jogs  and  recesses  save 
the  tokonoma  and  companion  recess  in  the  best  room  are  notice- 
able features.  These  recesses  vary  in  depth  from  two  to  three 
feet  or  more,  depending  on  the  size  of  the  room,  and  are  almost 
invariably  in  that  side  of  the  room  which  runs  at  a right  angle 
with  the  verandah  (fig.  96) ; or  if  in  the  second  story,  at  a right 


Fig.  96.  — Guest-room  in  IIachi-ishi. 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION. 


109 


110  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


angle  with  the  balcony.  The  division  between  the  recesses  con- 
sists of  a light  partition,  partly  or  wholly  closed,  which  generally 
separates  the  recesses  into  two  equal  bays.  The  bay  nearest 
the  verandah  is  called  the  tokonoma.  In  this  recess  hang  one 
or  two  pictures,  usually  one ; and  on  its  floor,  which  is  slightly 
raised  above  the  level  of  the  mats  of  the  main  floor,  stands  a 
vase  or  some  other  ornament.  The  companion  bay  has  usually 
a little  closet  or  cupboard  closed  by  sliding  screens,  and  one  or 
two  shelves  above,  and  also  another  long  shelf  near  its  ceil  in 
all  closed  by  sliding  screens.  At  the  risk  of  some  repetition, 
more  special  reference  will  be  made  farther  on  to  these  peculiar 
and  eminently  characteristic  features  of  the  Japanese  house. 

In  my  remarks  on  Japanese  house-construction,  in  Chapter  I., 
allusion  was  made  to  the  movable  partitions  dividing  the  rooms, 
consisting  of  light  frames  of  wood  covered  with  paper.  These 
are  nearly  six  feet  in  height,  and  about  three  feet  in  width.  The 
frame-work  of  a house,  as  we  have  already  said,  is  arranged  with 
special  reference  to  the  sliding  screens,  as  well  as  to  the  number 
of  mats  which  are  to  cover  the  lloor.  In  each  corner  of  the  room 
is  a square  post,  and  within  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  of  the 
ceiling  cross-beams  run  from  post  to  post.  These  cross-beams 
have  grooves  on  their  under  side  in  which  the  screens  are  to 
run.  Not  only  are  most  of  the  partitions  between  the  rooms 
made  up  of  sliding  screens,  but  a large  portion  of  the  exterior 
partitions  as  well  are  composed  of  these  light  and  adjustable  de- 
vices. A house  may  have  a suite  of  three  or  four  rooms  in  a line, 
and  the  outside  partitions  be  made  up  entirely  of  these  movable 
screens  and  the  necessary  posts  to  support  the  roof,  — these  posts 
coming  in  the  corners  of  the  rooms  and  marking  the  divisions 
between  the  rooms.  The  outer  screens  are  covered  with  white 
paper,  and  when  closed,  a subdued  and  diffused  light  enters  the 
room.  They  may  be  quickly  removed,  leaving  the  entire  front  of 
the  house  open  to  the  air  and  sunshine.  The  screens  between 


PLANS. 


Ill 


the  rooms  are  covered  with  a thick  paper,  which  may  be  left 
plain,  or  ornamented  with  sketchy  or  elaborate  drawings. 

The  almost  entire  absence  of  swinging  doors  is  at  once  no- 
ticeable,  though  now  and  then  one  sees  them  in  other  portions 
of  the  house.  The  absence  of  all  paint,  varnish,  oil,  or  filling, 
which  too  often  defaces  our  rooms  at  home,  is  at  once  remarked; 
and  the  ridiculous  absurdity  of  covering  a good  grained  wood- 
surface  with  paint,  and  then  with  brush  and  comb  trying  to 
imitate  Nature  by  scratching  in  a series  of  lines,  the  Japanese 
are  never  guilty  of.  On  the  contrary,  the  wood  is  left  in  just 
the  condition  in  which  it  leaves  the  cabinet-maker’s  plane,  with  a 
simple  surface,  smooth  but  not  polished,  — though  polished  sur- 
faces occur,  however,  which  will  be  referred  to  in  the  proper- 
place.  Oftentimes  in  some  of  the  parts  the  original  surface 
of  the  wood  is  left,  sometimes  with  the  bark  retained.  When- 
ever the  Japanese  workman  can  leave  a bit  of  Nature  in  this 
way  he  is  delighted  to  do  so.  He  is  sure  to  avail  himself 
of  all  curious  features  in  wood  : it  may  be  the  effect  of  some 
fungoid  growth  which  marks  a bamboo  curiously ; or  the  sinuous 
tracks  produced  by  the  larvae  of  some  beetle  that  oftentimes 
traces  the  surface  of  wood,  just  below  the  bark,  with  curious 
designs  ; or  a knot  or  burl.  His  eye  never  misses  these  features 
in  finishing  a room. 

The  floors  are  often  roughly  made,  for  the  reason  that  straw 
mats,  two  or  three  inches  in  thickness,  cover  them  completely. 
In  our  remarks  on  house-construction,  allusion  has  already  been 
made  to  the  dimensions  of  these  mats. 

Before  proceeding  further  into  the  details  of  the  rooms,  it  will 
he  well  to  examine  the  plans  of  a few  dwellings  copied  directly 
from  the  architect’s  drawings.  The  first  plan  given  (fig.  97)  is 
that  of  a house  built  in  Tokio  a few  years  ago,  in  which  the 
writer  has  spent  many  pleasant  hours.  The  main  house  measures 


112  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


twenty-one  by  tliirty-one  feet ; the  L measures  fifteen  by  twenty- 
four  feet.  The  solid  black  squares  represent  the  heavier  upright 
beams  which  support  the  roof.  The  solid  black  circles  represent 
the  support  for  the  L as  well  as  for  the  verandah  roof.  The  areas 
marked  with  close  parallel  lines  indicate  the  verandah,  while 
the  double  parallel  lines  indicate  the  sliding  screens,  — the  solid 
black  lines  showing  the  permanent  partitions.  The  kitchen,  bath- 
room, and  certain  platforms  are  indicated  by  parallel  lines  some- 
what wider  apart  than  those  that  indicate  the  verandah.  The 
lines  running  obliquely  indicate  an  area  where  the  boards  run  to- 
wards a central  gutter  slightly  depressed  below  the  common  level 
of  the  floor.  Here  stands  the  large  earthen  water-jar  or  the 
wooden  bath-tub ; and  water  spilled  upon  the  floor  finds  its  way 
out  of  the  house  by  the  gutter.  The  small  areas  on  the  outside 
of  the  house,  shaded  in  section,  represent  the  closets  or  cases  in 
which  the  storm-blinds  or  wooden  shutters,  which  so  effectually 
close  the  house  at  night,  are  stowed  away  in  the  day-time.  The 
house  contains  a vestibule,  a hall,  seven  rooms,  not  including  the 
kitchen,  and  nine  closets.  These  rooms,  if  named  after  our  no- 
menclature, would  be  as  follows : study,  library,  parlor,  sitting- 
room,  dining-room,  bed-room,  servants’-room,  and  kitchen.  As 
no  room  contains  any  article  of  furniture  like  a bedstead. — the 
bed  consisting  of  wadded  comforters,  being  made  up  temporarily 
upon  the  soft  mats,  — it  is  obvious  that  the  bedding  can  be  placed 
in  any  room  in  the  house.  The  absence  of  nearly  all  furniture 
gives  one  an  uninterrupted  sweep  of  the  floor,  so  that  the  entire 
floor  can  be  covered  with  sleepers  if  necessary,  — a great  conven- 
ience certainly  when  one  lias  to  entertain  unexpected^  a crowd  of 
guests  over-night.  Certain  closets  are  used  as  receptacles  for  the 
comforters,  where  they  are  stowed  away  during  the  day-time. 

The  absence  of  all  barns,  wood-sheds,  and  other  out-houses  is 
particularly  noticeable,  and  as  the  house  has  no  cellar,  one  won- 
ders where  the  fuel  is  stowed.  In  certain  areas  of  the  kitchen 


PLANS. 


113 


114  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


floor  the  planks  are  removable,  the  edges  of  special  planks  being 
notched  to  admit  the  linger,  so  that  they  can  be  lifted  up  one  by 
one;  and  beneath  them  a large  space  is  revealed,  in  which  wood 
and  charcoal  are  kept.  In  the  vestibule,  which  has  an  earth  floor, 
is  a narrow  area  of  wood  flush  with  the  floor  within,  and  in  this 
also  the  boards  may  be  lifted  up  in  a similar  way,  disclosing  a 
space  below,  wherein  the  wooden  clogs  and  umbrellas  may  be 
stowed  out  of  sight.  These  arrangements  in  the  hall  are  seen 
in  the  houses  of  the  moderately  well-to-do  people,  but  not,  so 
far  as  I know,  in  the  houses  of  the  wealthy. 

In  this  house  the  dining-room  and  library  are  six-mat  rooms, 
the  parlor  is  an  eight-mat  room,  and  the  sitting-room  a four 
and  one-half  mat  room  ; that  is,  the  floor  of  each  room  accom- 
modates the  number  of  mats  mentioned.  The  last  three  named 
rooms  are  bordered  by  the  verandah. 

The  expense  of  this  house  complete  was  about  one  thousand 
dollars.  The  land  upon  which  it  stood  contained  about  10,800 
square  feet,  and  was  valued  at  three  hundred  and  thirty  dollars. 
Upon  this  the  Government  demanded  a tax  of  five  dollars. 
The  house  furnished  with  these  mats,  requires  little  else  with 
which  to  begin  house-keeping. 

A comfortable  house,  fit  for  the  habitation  of  a family  of 
four  or  five,  may  be  built  for  a far  less  sum  of  money,  and 
the  fewness  and  cheapness  of  the  articles  necessary  to  furnish 
it  surpass  belief.  In  mentioning  such  a modest  house  and 
furnishing,  the  reader  must  not  imagine  that  the  family  are 
constrained  for  want  of  room,  or  stinted  in  the  necessary  fur- 
niture ; on  the  contrary,  they  are  enabled  to  live  in  the  most 
comfortable  manner.  Their  wants  are  few,  and  their  tastes  are 
simple  and  refined.  They  live  without  the  slightest  ostentation  ; 
no  false  display  leads  them  into  criminal  debt.  The  monstrous 
bills  for  carpets,  curtains,  furniture,  silver,  dishes,  etc.,  often  en- 
tailed upon  young  house-keepers  at  home  in  any  attempt  at 


PLANS. 


115 


house-keeping,  — the  premonition  even  of  such  bills  often  pre- 
venting marriage,  — are  social  miseries  that  the  Japanese  happily 
know  but  little  about. 

Simple  as  the  house  just  given  appears  to  be,  there  is  quite 
as  much  variety  in  the  arrangement  of  their  rooms  as  with  us. 
There  are  cheap  types  of  houses  in  Japan,  as  in  our  country, 
where  room  follows  room  in  a certain  sequence ; but  the  slight- 
est attention  to  these  matters  will  not  only  show  great  variety 
in  their  plans,  but  equally  great  variety  in  the  ornamental  fin- 
ishing of  their  apartments. 

The  plan  shown  in  fig.  98  is  that  of  the  house  represented 
in  figs.  36  and  37.  The  details  are  figured  as  in  the  previous 
plan.  This  bouse  has  on  the  ground-floor  seven  rooms  besides 
the  kitchen,  hall,  and  bath-room.  The  kitchen  and  bath-room 
are  indicated,  as  in  the  former  plan,  by  their  floors  being  ruled 
in  wide  parallel  lines, — the  lines  running  obliquely,  as  in  the 
former  case,  indicating  the  bath-room  or  wash-rooms. 

The  owner  of  this  house  has  often  welcomed  me  to  its  soft 
mats  and  quiet  atmosphere,  and  in  the  enjoyment  of  them  I have 
often  wondered  as  to  the  impressions  one  would  get  if  he  could 
be  suddenly  transferred  from  his  own  home  to  this  unpretentious 
house,  with  its  quaint  and  pleasant  surroundings.  The  general 
nakedness,  or  rather  emptiness,  of  the  apartments  would  be  the 
first  thing  noticed  ; then  gradually  the  perfect  harmony  of  the 
tinted  walls  with  the  wood  finish  would  be  observed.  The  orderly 
adjusted  screens,  with  their  curious  free-hand  ink-drawings,  or 
conventional  designs  on  the  paper  of  so  subdued  and  intangible 
a character  that  special  attention  must  be  directed  to  them  to 
perceive  their  nature ; the  clean  and  comfortable  mats  every- 
where smoothly  covering  the  floor  ; the  natural  woods  composing 
the  ceiling  and  the  structural  finishing  of  the  room  everywhere 
apparent ; the  customary  recesses  with  their  cupboard  and  shelves, 
and  the  room-wide  lintel  with  its  elaborate  lattice  or  carving 


116  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THE  IB  SUBROUNDINGS. 


above,  — all  these  would  leave  lasting  impressions  of  the  ex- 
quisite taste  and  true  refinement  of  the  Japanese. 

1 noticed  that  a pecu- 


1 An  odor  which  at  home  we  recognize  as  “ Japanesy,”  arising  from  the  wood-boxes, 
in  which  Japanese  articles  are  packed. 


Tokonoma ; U and  L , Privy. 


PLANS. 


117 


in  this  connection  I was  led  to  think  of  the  rooms  I had  seen  in 
America  encumbered  with  chairs,  bureaus,  tables,  bedsteads,  wash- 
stands,  etc.,  and  of  the  dusty  carpets  and  suffocating  wall-paper, 
hot  with  some  frantic  design,  and  perforated  with  a pair  of  quad- 
rangular openings,  wholly  or  partially  closed  against  light  and  air. 
Recalling  this  labyrinth  of  varnished  furniture,  I could  but  remem- 
ber how  much  work  is  entailed  upon  some  one  properly  to  attend 
to  such  a room ; and  enjoying  by  contrast  the  fresh  air  and  broad 
flood  of  light,  limited  only  by  the  dimensions  of  the  room,  which 
this  Japanese  house  afforded,  I could  not  recall  with  any  pleasure 
the  stifling  apartments  with  which  I had  been  familiar  at  home. 

If  a foreigner  is  not  satisfied  with  the  severe  simplicity, 
and  what  might  at  first  strike  him  as  a meagreness,  in  the 
appointments  of  a Japanese  house,  and  is  nevertheless  a man 
of  taste,  lie  is  compelled  to  admit  that  its  paucity  of  furniture 
and  carpets  spares  one  the  misery  of  certain  painful  feelings 
that  incongruities  always  produce.  He  recalls  with  satisfaction 
certain  works  on  household  art,  in  which  it  is  maintained  that 
a table  with  carved  cherubs  beneath,  against  whose  absurd  con- 
tours one  knocks  his  legs,  is  an  abomination ; and  that  carpets 
which  have  depicted  upon  them  winged  angels,  lions,  or  tigers, 
— or,  worse  still,  a simpering  and  reddened  maiden  being  made 
love  to  by  an  equally  ruddy  shepherd,  — are  hardly  the  proper 
surfaces  to  tread  upon  with  comfort,  though  one  may  take  a 
certain  grim  delight  in  wiping  his  soiled  boots  upon  them.  In 
the  Japanese  house  the  traveller  is  at  least  not  exasperated 
with  such  a medley  of  dreadful  things ; he  is  certainly  spared 
the  pains  that  “civilized”  styles  of  appointing  and  furnishing 
often  produce.  Mr.  Lowell  truthfully  remarks  on  “ the  waste 
and  aimlessness  of  our  American  luxury,  which  is  an  abject 
enslavement  to  tawdry  upholstery.” 

We  are  digressing,  however.  In  the  plan  referred  to,  an 
idea  of  the  size  of  the  rooms  may  be  formed  by  observing  the 


118  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

number  of  mats  in  each  room,  and  recalling  the  size  of  the  mats, 
which  is  about  three  feet  by  six.  It  will  be  seen  that  the 
rooms  are  small,  much  smaller  than  those  of  a similar  class  of 
American  houses,  though  appearing  more  roomy  from  the  absence 
of  furniture.  The  three  rooms  bordering  the  verandah  and 
facing  the  garden  are  readily  thrown  into  one,  and  thus  a con- 
tinuous apartment  is  secured,  measuring  thirty-six  feet  in  length 
by  twelve  in  width  ; and  this  is  uninterrupted,  with  the  exception 
of  one  small  partition.1 

In  the  manner  of  building,  one  recognizes  the  propriety  of 
constructive  art  as  being  in  better  taste ; and  in  a Japanese 
house  one  sees  this  principle  carried  out  to  perfection.  The  ceil- 
ing of  boards,  the  corner  posts  and  middle  posts  and  transverse 
ties  are  in  plain  sight.  The  corner  posts  which  support  the 
roof  play  their  part  as  a decorative  feature,  as  they  pass  stoutly 
upward  from  the  ground  beneath.  A fringe  of  rafters  rib  the 
lower  surface  of  the  wide  overhanging  eaves,  and  these  in  turn 
rest  firmly  on  an  unhewn  beam  which  runs  as  a girder  from 
one  side  of  the  verandah  to  the  other.  The  house  is  simply 
charming  in  all  its  appointments,  and  as  a summer-house  dur- 
ing the  many  long  hot  months  it  is  incomparable.  In  the  raw 
and  rainy  days  of  winter,  however,  it  is  not  so  pleasant,  at 
least  to  a foreigner,  — though  I question  whether  to  a Japanese 
it  is  more  unpleasant  than  the  ordinary  houses  at  home  are  with 
us,  with  some  of  the  apartments  hot  and  stifling,  and  things 
cracking  with  the  furnace  heat,  while  other  parts  are  splitting 
with  the  cold  ; with  gas  from  the  furnace,  and  chimneys  that 
often  refuse  to  draw,  and  an  impalpable  though  tangible  soot 
and  coal-dust  settling  on  every  object,  and  many  other  abomi- 

1 In  the  plan  (fig.  97)  P is  an  eight-mat  room  ; D and  L are  six-mat  rooms  ; S is  a 
four  and  one-half  mat  room  ; 11,  H , and  St.  are  three-mat  rooms  ; S R,  and  V are  tvro- 
mat  rooms. 

In  the  plan  (fig.  98)  P,  P,  and  JB  are  eight-mat  rooms ; P>  is  a six-mat  room  ; W Ii. 
and  S,  are  four  and  one-half  mat  rooms  ; H,  and  S P,  are  three-mat  rooms. 


PLANS. 


119 


nations  that  are  too  well  known.  The  Japanese  do  not  suffer 
from  the  cold  as  we  do.  Moreover,  when  in  the  house  they  clothe 
themselves  much  more  warmly ; and  for  what  little  artificial 
warmth  they  desire,  small  receptacles  containing  charcoal  are 
provided,  over  which  they  warm  themselves,  at  the  same  time 
keeping  their  feet  warm,  as  a hen  does  her  eggs,  by  sitting  on 
them.  Their  indifference  to  cold  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  in 
their  winter-parties  the  rooms  will  often  be  entirely  open  to 
the  garden,  which  may  be  glistening  with  a fresh  snowfall. 
Their  winters  are  of  course  much  milder  than  our  Northern 
winters.  At  such  seasons,  however,  an  American  misses  in 
Japan  the  cheerful  open  fireplace  around  which  the  family  in 
his  own  country  is  wont  to  gather;  indeed,  with  the  social 
character  of  our  family  life  a Japanese  house  to  us  would  be 
in  winter  comfortless  to  the  last  degree. 

The  differences  between  the  houses  of  the  nobles  and  the 
samurai  are  quite  as  great  as  the  differences  between  these 
latter  houses  and  the  rude  shelters  of  the  peasant  class.  The 
differences  between  the  interior  finish  of  the  houses  of  the  first 
two  mentioned  classes  are  perhaps  not  so  marked,  as  in  both 
cases  clean  wood-work,  simplicity  of  style,  and  purity  of  finish 
are  aimed  at ; but  the  house  of  the  noble  is  marked  by  a 
grander  entrance,  a far  greater  extent  of  rooms  and  passages, 
and  a modification  in  the  arrangement  of  certain  rooms  and 
passages  not  seen  in  the  ordinary  house. 

The  accompanying  plan  of  a Daimio's  house  (fig.  99)  is  from  a 
drawing  made  by  Mr.  Miyasaki,  a student  in  the  Kaikoshia,  a pri- 
vate school  of  architecture  in  Tokio,  and  exhibited  with  other  plans 
at  the  late  International  Health  and  Education  Exhibition  held  in 
London.  Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  S.  Tejima  the  Japanese  com- 
missioner, I have  been  enabled  to  examine  and  study  these  plans. 

The  punctilious  way  in  which  guests  or  official  callers  were 
received  by  the  Daimio  is  indicated  by  a curious  modification 


120  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


of  the  floor  of  one  of  a suite  of  rooms,  which  is  raised  a few 
inches  above  the  level  of  the  other  floors,  forming  a sort  of  dais. 
These  rooms  are  bordered  by  a sort  of  passage-way,  or  interme- 
diate portion,  called  the  iri-kawa , which  conies  between  the  room 
and  the  verandah.  To  be  more  explicit : within  the  boundary 
of  the  principal  guest-room  there  appears  to  lie  a suite  of 
smaller  rooms  marked  off  by  slioji;  one  of  these  rooms  called 
the  ge-dan  has  its  floor  on  a level  with  the  other  floors  of  the 
house.  The  other  room,  called  the  jo-dan , has  its  floor  raised 
to  a height  of  three  or  four  inches  above  that  of  the  ge-dan, 
its  boundary  or  border  being  marked  by  a polished  plank  form- 
ing a frame,  so  to  speak,  for  the  mats.  On  that  side  of  the 
jo-dan  away  from  the  ge-dan  are  the  tokonoma  and  cliigai-dana 
On  entering  such  a room  from  the  verandah  one  passes  through 
the  usual  shoji,  and  then  across  a matted  area  called  the  iri- 
kawa,  the  width  of  one  mat  or  more;  here  he  comes  to  an- 
other line  of  sliding  screens,  which  open  into  the  apartments 
just  described.  When  the  Daimio  receives  the  calls  from  those 
who  come  to  congratulate  him  on  New  Year’s  day,  and  other 
important  occasions,  he  sits  in  great  dignity  in  the  jo-dan ; his 
chief  minister  and  other  attendants  occupy  the  iri-kawa,  while 
the  visitors  enter  the  ge-dan , and  there  make  their  obeisance 
to  the  Worshipful  Daimio  Sama.  In  the  same  plan  there  is  an- 
other suite  of  rooms  called  the  kami-noma  and  tsugi-noma  sur- 
rounded by  iri-kawa,  probably  used  for  similar  purposes. 

In  this  plan  the  close  parallel  lines  indicate  the  verandahs; 
the  thick  lines,  permanent  partitions ; and  the  small  black  squares, 
the  upright  posts.  The  lines  of  shoji  and  fusuma  are  shown 
by  the  thin  lines,  which  with  the  thick  lines  represent  the 
boundaries  of  the  rooms,  passage-ways,  etc. 

A more  minute  description  of  the  mats  may  be  given  at  this 
point.  A brief  allusion  has  already  been  made  to  them  in  the 


MATS. 


121 


remarks  on  house-construction.  These  mats,  or  tatami , are  made 
very  carefully  of  straw,  matted  and  bound  together  with  stout 


1 The  following  is  a brief  explanation  of  the  names  of  the  rooms  given  in  plan 
fig.  99:  Agari-ba  ( Agari , “to  go  up;”  ba,  “place”),  Platform,  or  place  to  stand 
on  in  coming  out  of  the  Bath.  Cha-dokoro,  Tea-place;  Ge-dan,  Lower  Step;  Jo-dan, 
Upper  Step;  Iri-lcawa,  Space  between  verandah  and  room;  Kami-no-ma,  Upper  place 
or  room;  Tsugi-no-ma,  Next  place  or  room;  Keshd-no-ma,  Dressing-room  ( Kcslio , • — 
“adorning  the  face  with  powder”).  Nan-do,  Store-room ; Nalca-tsubo,  Middle  space; 
Oshi-ire , Closet  (literally,  “ push,”  “ put  in  ”)  ; To -lea,  Corridor,  Covered  way ; Tamari , 
Ante-chamber;  Tsume-sho,  Waiting-room  for  servants;  Yu-dono,  Bath-room;  Yen - 
znshiki,  End  parlor  ; Watari,  — “ to  cross  over;  ” Sunoko.  Bamboo  shelf  or  platform 


122  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


string  to  the  thickness  of  two  inches  or  more,  — the  upper  surface 
being  covered  with  a straw-matting  precisely  like  the  Canton 
matting  we  are  familiar  with,  though  in  the  better  class  of 
mats  of  a little  finer  quality.  The  edges  are  trimmed  true 
and  square,  and  the  two  longer  sides  are  bordered  on  the  upper 
surface  and  edge  with  a strip  of  black  linen  an  inch  or  more 
in  width  (fig.  100). 

The  making  of  mats  is  quite  a separate  trade  from  that  of 
making  the  straw-matting  with  which  they  are  covered.  The 
mat-maker  may  often  be  seen  at  work  in  front  of  his  door, 
crouching  down  to  a low  frame  upon  which  the  mat  rests. 


As  we  have  before  remarked,  the  architect  invariably  plans 
his  rooms  to  accommodate  a certain  number  of  mats  ; and  since 
these  mats  have  a definite  size,  any  indication  on  the  plan  of 
the  number  of  mats  a room  is  to  contain  gives  at  once  its  di- 
mensions also.  The  mats  are  laid  in  the  following  numbers,  — 
two,  three,  four  and  one-half,  six,  eight,  ten,  twelve,  fourteen, 
sixteen,  and  so  on.  In  the  two-mat  room  the  mats  are  laid  side 
by  side.  In  the  three-mat  room  the  mats  may  be  laid  side  by 
side,  or  two  mats  in  one  way  and  the  third  mat  crosswise 
at  the  end.  In  the  four  and  one-half  mat  room  the  mats  are 
laid  with  the  half-mat  in  one  corner.  The  six  and  eight  mat 
rooms  are  the  most  common-sized  rooms  ; and  this  gives  some 


Pig.  100.  — Mat. 


M ATS. 


123 


indication  of  the  small  size  of  the  ordinary  Japanese  room  and 
house,  — the  six-mat  room  being  about  nine  feet  by  twelve  ; the 
eight-mat  room  being  twelve  by  twelve  ; and  the  ten-mat  room 
being  twelve  by  fifteen.  The  accom- 
panying sketch  (fig.  101)  shows  the 
usual  arrangements  for  these  mats. 

In  adjusting  mats  to  the  floor,  the 
corners  of  four  mats  are  never  allowed 
to  come  together,  but  are  arranged  so 
that  the  corners  of  two  mats  abut  against 
the  side  of  a third.  They  are  supposed 
to  be  arranged  in  the  direction  of  a 
closely-wound  spiral  (see  dotted  line  in 
fig.  101).  The  edges  of  the  longer  sides 
of  the  ordinary  mats  are  bound  with  a 
narrow  strip  of  black  linen,  as  before 
remarked.  In  the  houses  of  the  nobles 
this  border  strip  has  figures  worked  into 
it  in  black  and  white,  as  may  be  seen 
by  reference  to  Japanese  illustrated  books 
showing  interiors.  These  mats  fit  tight- 
ly, and  the  floor  upon  which  they  rest, 
never  being  in  sight,  is  generally  made 
of  rough  boards  with  open  joints.  The 
mat,  as  you  step  upon  it,  yields  slightly 
to  the  pressure  of  the  foot ; and  old  mats  get  to  be  slightly 
uneven  and  somewhat  hard  from  continual  use.  From  the 
nature  of  this  soft-matted  floor  shoes  are  never  worn  upon  it, 
— the  Japanese  invariably  leaving  their  wooden  clogs  outside 
the  house,  either  on  the  stepping-stones  or  on  the  earth-floor 
at  the  entrance.  The  wearing  of  one’s  shoes  in  the  house  is 
one  of  the  many  coarse  and  rude  ways  in  which  a foreigner 
is  1 ilcely  to  offend  these  people.  The  hard  heels  of  a boot  or 


Fig.  101. — Arrangement  op 
Mats  in  different-sized 

UOOMS. 


124  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIB  SURROUNDINGS. 


shoe  not  only  leave  deep  indentations  in  the  upper  matting, 
but  oftentimes  break  through.  Happily,  however,  the  act  of 
removing  one’s  shoes  on  entering  the  house  is  one  of  the  very 
few  customs  that  foreigners  recognize,  — the  necessity  of  com- 
pliance being  too  obvious  to  dispute.  In  spring-time,  or  during 
a rain  of  long  duration,  the  mats  become  damp  and  musty ; and 
when  a day  of  sunshine  comes  they  are  taken  up  and  stacked, 
1 ike  cards,  in  front  of  the  house  to  dry.  They  are  also  re- 
moved at  times  and  well  beaten.  Their  very  nature  affords 
abundant  hiding-places  for  fleas,  which  are  the  unmitigated 
misery  of  foreigners  who  travel  in  Japan  ; though  even  this 
annoyance  is  generally  absent  in  private  houses  of  the  better 
classes,  as  is  the  case  with  similar  pests  in  our  country. 

Upon  these  mats  the  people  eat, 
sleep,  and  die  ; they  represent  the 
bed,  chair,  lounge,  and  sometimes 
table,  combined.  In  resting  upon 
them  the  Japanese  assume  a kneel- 
ing position,  — the  legs  turned  be- 
neath, and  the  haunches  resting 
upon  the  calves  of  the  legs  and  the 
inner  sides  of  the  heels  ; the  toes 
being  turned  in  so  that  the  upper 
and  outer  part  of  the  instep  bears 
directly  on  the  mats.  Fig.  102  rep- 
resents a woman  in  the  attitude  of  sitting.  In  old  people  one 
often  notices  a callosity  on  that  part  of  the  foot  which  comes  in 
contact  with  the  mat,  and  but  for  a knowledge  of  the  customs 
of  the  people  in  this  matter  might  well  wonder  how  such  a 
hardening  of  the  flesh  could  occur  in  such  an  odd  place.  This 
position  is  so  painful  to  a foreigner  that  it  is  only  with  a great 
deal  of  practice  he  can  become  accustomed  to  it.  Even  the 
Japanese  who  have  been  abroad  for  several  years  find  it  exces- 


Fig.  102.  — Attitude  oe  Woman  in 
Sitting. 


SLIDING  SCREENS. 


125 


sively  difficult  and  painful  to  resume  this  habit.  In  this  attitude 
the  Japanese  receive  their  company.  Hand-shaking  is  unknown, 
hut  bows  of  various  degrees  of  profundity  are  made  by  placing 
the  hands  together  upon  the  mats  and  ho  wing  until  the  head 
oftentimes  touches  the  hands.  In  this  ceremony  the  back  is 
kept  parallel  with  the  floor,  or  nearly  so. 

At  meal-times  the  food  is  served  in  lacquer  and  porcelain 
dishes  on  lacquer  trays,  placed  upon  the  floor  in  front  of  the 
kneeling  family ; and  in  this  position  the  repast  is  taken. 

At  night  a heavily  wadded  comforter  is  placed  upon  the  floor ; 
another  equally  thick  is  provided  for  a blanket,  a pillow  of  di- 
minutive proportions  for  a head-support,  — and  the  bed  is  made. 
In  the  morning  these  articles  are  stowed  away  in  a large  closet. 
Further  reference  will  be  made  to  bedding  in  the  proper  place. 

A good  quality  of  mats  can  be  made  for  one  dollar  and  a half 
a-piece ; though  they  sometimes  cost  three  or  four  dollars,  and 
even  a higher  price.  The  poorest  mats  cost  from  sixty  to  eighty 
cents  a-piece.  The  matting  for  the  entire  house  represented  in 
plan  fig.  97  cost  fifty-two  dollars  and  fifty  cents. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  sliding  screens,  and  as 
they  form  so  important  and  distinct  a feature  in  the  Japanese 
house,  a more  special  description  of  them  is  necessary.  In  our 
American  houses  a lintel  is  the  horizontal  beam  placed  over  the 
door ; this  is  cased  with  Avood,  and  has  a jamb  or  recess  corre- 
sponding to  the  vertical  recesses  into  which  the  door  shuts.  For 
the  sake  of  clearness,  we  may  imagine  a lintel  running  entirely 
across  the  room  from  one  corner  to  the  other,  and  this  is  the  kamoi 
of  the  Japanese  room.  The  beam  is  not  cased.  On  its  under  sur- 
face run  two  deep  and  closely  parallel  grooves,  and  directly  be- 
neath this  kamoi  on  the  floor  a surface  of  wood  shows  in  which 
are  two  exceedingly  shallow  grooves.  This  surface  is  level  with 
the  mats ; and  in  these  grooves  the  screens  run.  The  grooves  in 


126  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


the  komoi  are  made  deep,  in  order  that  the  screens  may  be  lifted 
out  of  the  floor-grooves  and  then  dropped  from  the  upper  ones,, 
and  thus  removed.  In  this  way  a suite  of  rooms  can  be  quickly 
turned  into  one,  by  the  removal  of  the  screens.  The  grooves  are 
sufficiently  wide  apart  to  permit  the  screens  being  pushed  by  each 
other.  From  the  adjustable  nature  of  these  sliding  partitions 


Pig.  103.  — Section  through  Verandah  and  Guest-room. 


one  may  have  the  opening  between  the  rooms  of  any  width  he 
desires. 

There  are  two  forms  of  these  sliding  screens,  — the  one  kind, 
called  fusumci,  forming  the  partitions  between  rooms ; the  other 
kind,  called  shoji,  coming  on  the  outer  sides  of  the  rooms  next 
to  the  verandah,  and  forming  the  substitutes  for  windows  (fig. 
103). 

The  fusumci  forming  the  movable  partitions  between  the 
rooms  are  covered  on  both  sides  with  thick  paper;  and  as  it  was 


FUSUMA. 


127 


customary  in  past  times  to  use  Chinese  paper  for  this  purpose, 
these  devices  are  also  called  kara-kami , — “China-paper.”  The 
frame  is  not  unlike  the  frame  used  for  the  outside  screens,  con- 
sisting of  thin  vertical  and  horizontal  strips  of  wood  forming  a 
grating,  with  the  meshes  four  or  five  inches  in  width,  and  two 
inches  in  height.  The  outside  frame  or  border  is  usually  left 
plain,  as  is  the  case  with  most  of  their  wood-work.  It  is  not 
uncommon,  however,  to  see  these  frames  lacquered.  The  material 
used  for  covering  them  consists  of  a stout,  thick,  and  durable 
paper;  and  this  is  often  richly  decorated.  Sometimes  a continuous 
scene  will  stretch  like  a panorama  across  the  whole  side  of  a room. 
The  old  castles  contain  some  celebrated  paintings  on  these  fusuma, 
by  famous  artists.  The  use  of  heavy  gold-leaf  in  combination 
with  the  paintings  produces  a decorative  effect  rich  beyond  de- 
scription. In  the  commoner  houses  the  fusuma  are  often  undeco- 
rated save  by  the  paper  which  covers  them ; and  the  material  for 
this  purpose  is  infinite  in  its  variety,  — some  kinds  being  curiously 
wrinkled,  other  kinds  seeming  to  have  interwoven  in  their  texture 
the  delicate  green  threads  of  some  sea-weed ; while  other  kinds 
still  will  have  the  rich  brown  sheaths  of  bamboo  shoots  worked 
into  the  paper,  producing  a quaint  and  pleasing  effect.  Often  the 
paper  is  perfectly  plain ; and  if  lay  chance  an  artist  friend  comes  to 
the  house,  he  is  asked  to  leave  some  little  sketch  upon  these  sur- 
faces as  a memento  of  his  visit : others  perhaps  may  have  already 
covered  portions  of  the  surface  with  some  landscape  or  spray  of 
flowers.  In  old  inns  one  has  often  pointed  out  to  him  the  work 
of  some  famous  artist,  who  probably  paid  his  score  in  this  way. 

While  the  fusurna  are  almost  invariably  covered  with  thick 
and  opaque  paper,  it  occurs  sometimes  that  light  is  required  in  a 
back-room;  in  that  case,  while  the  upper  and  lower  third  of  the 
fusuma  retains  its  usual  character,  the  central  third  has  a slidji 
inserted,  — that  is,  a slight  frame-work  covered  with  white  paper, 
through  which  light  enters  as  in  the  outside  screens.  This  frame 


[28  JAPANESE  HO  AXES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

is  removable,  so  that  it  can  be  re-covered  with  paper  when 
required.  This  frame-work  is  often  made  in  ornamental  patterns, 
geometrical  or  natural  designs  being  common.  In  summer 
another  kind  of  frame  may  be  substituted  in  the  fusuma,  termed  a 
yoshi-do,  in  which  a kind  of  rush  called  yoshi  takes  the  place  of 

paper ; the  yoshi  is  arranged  in  a 
close  grating  through  which  the 
air  has  free  access  and  a little  light 
may  enter.  The  fusuma  may  be 
entirely  composed  of  yoshi  and  the 
appropriate  frame-work  to  hold  it. 
One  of  this  kind  is  represented  in 
fig.  104.  The  lower  portion  con- 
sists of  a panel  of  dark  cedar,  in 
which  are  cut  or  perforated  the 
figures  of  bats ; above  this  panel 
are  transverse  bars  of  light  cedar, 
and  filling  up  the  border  of  the 
frame  is  a close  grating  of  brown 
reeds  or  rushes  placed  vertically; 
at  the  top  is  a wide  interspace 
crossed  by  a single  root  of  bam- 
boo. The  yoshi  resembles  minia- 
ture bamboo,  the  rods  being  the 
size  of  an  ordinary  wheat-straw,  and 
having  a warm  brown  tint.  This 
is  employed  in  many  ways  in  the  decoration  of  interiors,  and  the 
use  of  so  fragile  and  delicate  a material  in  house-finish  is  one 
of  the  many  indications  of  the  quiet  and  gentle  manners  of  the 
Japanese. 

Oftentimes  a narrow  permanent  partition  occurs  in  which  is 
an  opening,  — the  width  of  one  fusuma,  — which  takes  the 
place  of  our  swinging  and  slamming  door.  In  this  case  the 


FUSUMA.  — HIKITE. 


129 


fusuma  is  a more  solid  and  durable  structure.  The  one  shown  in 
tig.  105  is  of  the  nature  of  a door,  since  it  guards  the  opening 
which  leads  from  the  hall  to  the  other  apartments  of  the  house. 
A rich  and  varied  effect  is  produced  by  the  use  and  arrangement 
of  light  and  dark  bamboo  and  heavily-grained  wood,  the  central 
panels  being  of  dark  cedar.  In 
the  vestibule  one  often  sees  sliding 
screens  consisting  of  a single  panel 
of  richly-grained  cedar. 

Conveniences  for  pushing  back 
the  fusuma  are  secured  in  a va- 
riety of  ways ; the  usual  form  con- 
sists of  an  oval  or  circular  plate 
of  thin  metal,  having  a depressed 
area,  inserted  in  the  fusuma  in 
about  the  same  position  a door- 
knob would  be  with  us.  These 
are  called  liikite,  and  often  pre- 
sent beautiful  examples  of  metal- 
work, being  elaborately  carved  and 
sometimes  enamelled.  The  same 
caprices  and  delights  in  ornamen- 
tation seen  elsewhere  in  their  work  find  full  play  in  the  designs 
of  the  liikite.  Fig.  106  shows  one  from  the  house  of  a noble ; 
its  design  represents  an  inkstone  and  two  brushes,  — the  brushes 
being  silvered  and  tipped  with  lacquer,  while  in  the  recessed 
portion  is  engraved  a dragon.  Fig.  107  represents  one  made  of 
copper,  in  which  the  leaves  and  berries  are  enamelled ; the 
leaves  green,  and  the  berries  red  and  white.  Figs.  108  and  109 
show  more  pretentious  as  well  as  cheaper  forms,  the  designs 
being  stamped  and  not  cut  by  hand.  Sometimes  liikite  are  made 
of  porcelain.  In  the  cheaper  forms  of  fusuma,  the  liikite  consists 


9 


130  JAPANESE  HUMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


of  a depressed  area  in  the  paper  formed  by  a modification  of 
the  frame  itself.  In  illustrations  of  fine  interiors  one  often  noti- 
ces a form  of  hikite  from  which 
hang  two  short  cords  of  silk  tied 
in  certain  formal  ways,  on  the 
ends  of  which  are  tassels.  From 
the  almost  universal  presence  of 
these  in  old  illustrated  books,  one 
is  led  to  believe  that  formerly  the 
cord  was  the  usual  handle  by 
which  the  fusuma  was  pulled  back 
and  forth,  and  that  these  gradu- 
ally fell  into  disuse,  the  recessed 


Fig.  106.  — Hikite. 


plate  of  metal  alone  remaining.  This  form 
of  hikite  is  rarely  seen  to-day,  though  a few 
of  the  old  Daimios’  houses  still  possess  it. 

Fig.  110  represents  two  forms  copied  from 
a book  entitled  “ Tategu  Hinagata.” 

i 

The  outside  screens,  or  shoji,  which  take 

’ J ’ Fig.  107. — Hikite. 

the  place  of  our  windows,  are  those  screens 

which  border  the  verandah,  or  come  on 
that  side  of  the  room  towards  the  exte- 
rior wall  of  the  house.  These  consist  of 
a light  frame-work  made  of  thin  bars 


of  wood  crossing  and  matched  into  each 
other,  leaving  small  rectangular  inter- 
spaces. The  lower  portion  of  the  shoji, 
to  the  height  of  a foot  from  the  floor, 
is  usually  a wood-panel,  as  a protection 
against  careless  feet  as  well  as  to 
The  shoji  are  covered  on  the  outside 
with  white  paper.  The  only  light  the  room  receives  when  the 


strengthen  the  frame. 


SHQJL 


131 


shoji  are  closed  comes  through  this  paper,  and  the  room  is 
flooded  with  a soft  diffused  light  which  is  very  agreeable.  The 
hikite  for  pushing  the  shoji  back 
is  arranged  by  one  of  the  rectan- 
gular spaces  being  papered  on  the 
opposite  side,  thus  leaving  a con- 
venient recess  for  the  fingers. 

Sometimes  little  holes  or  rents 
are  accidentally  made  in  this  paper- 
covering of  the  shoji;  and  in  the 
mending  of  these  places  the  Japan- 
ese, ever  true  in  their  artistic  feel- 
ing, repair  the  damage,  not  by 
square  bits  of  paper  as  we  should 
probably,  but  by  cutting  out  pretty  Fig.  109.  — Hikite- 

designs  of  cherry  or  plum  blossoms 

and  patching  the  rents  with  these.  When  observing  this  artistic 
device  I have  often  wondered  how  the  broken  panes  of  some 

of  our  country  houses 
must  look  to  a Japan- 
ese, — the  repairs  be- 
ing effected  by  the  use 
of  dirty  bags  stuffed 
with  straw,  or  more 
commonly  by  battered 
hats  jammed  into  the 
gaps.  Sometimes  the 
frame  of  a shoji  gets 
sprung  or  thrown  out 
of  its  true  rectangular 
shape ; this  is  remedied  by  inserting  at  intervals  in  the  meshes 
of  the  frame-work  elastic  strips  of  bamboo,  and  the  constant 
pressure  of  these  strips  in  one  direction  tends  to  bring  the 


Fig.  110.  — Hikite  with  Cord. 


132 


JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THE  IP,  SURE  0 ENDINGS. 


frame  straight  again.  Fig.  Ill  illustrates  the  appearance  of 
this ; the  curved  lines  representing  the  elastic  strips. 

There  are  innumer- 
able designs  employed 
in  the  shoji ; and  in 
this,  as  in  many  other 
parts  of  the  interior,  the 
Japanese  show  an  infi- 
nite amount  of  taste  and 
ingenuity.  Fig.  112  il 

lust  rates  one  of  these 

Fig.  111.  — Straightening  Shoji  Frame.  , , n . . 

ornamental  forms.  At 


which  cover  the  openings  between 
the  rooms  are  most  complex  and 
elaborate.  Further  reference,  how- 
ever, will  lie  made  to  these  in  the 
proper  place. 

It  has  been  necessary  to  antici- 
pate the  special  description  of  the 
details  of  a room  in  so  far  as  a description  of  the  mats  and 
screens  were  concerned,  since  a general  idea  of  the  interior 


present  in  the  cities  it  is  common  to  see  a narrow  strip  of  window 
glass  inserted  across  the  shoji  about  two  feet  from  the  floor.  It 
seems  odd  at  first  sight  to  see  it 
placed  so  low,  until  one  recalls  the 
fact  that  the  inmates  sit  on  the 
mats,  and  the  glass  in  this  position 
is  on  a level  with  their  line  of 
vision.  As  a general  rule  the  de- 
signs for  the  shoji  are  more  simple 
than  those  employed  for  certain 
exterior  openings  which  may  be 
regarded  as  windows,  while  those 


Fig.  112. 


Shoji  with  Ornamental. 
Frame. 


TOKONOMA.  — CHI  GAI-DANA. 


TOO 

loo 

could  not  be  well  understood  without  clearly  understanding  the 
nature  of  those  objects  which  form  inseparable  elements  of 
every  Japanese  room,  and  which  are  so  unlike  anything  to 
which  we  are  accustomed.  Having  given  these  features,  it  may 
be  well  to  glance  at  a general  view  of  the  few  typical  rooms 
before  examining  farther  into  the  details  of  their  finish. 

The  room  shown  in  fig.  96  gives  a fair  idea  of  the  appear- 
ance of  the  guest-room  with  its  two  bays  or  recesses,  the 
tokonoma  and  chigai-clana,  — one  of  which,  the  tokonomci,  is  a 
clear  recess,  in  which  usually  hangs  a picture;  and  in  the  other 
is  a small  closet  and  shelf,  and  an  additional  shelf  above, 
closed  by  sliding  doors.  The  sketch  was  taken  from  the  ad- 
joining room,  the  fusuma  between  the  two  having  been  re- 
moved. The  grooves  for  the  fusuma  may  be  seen  in  the  floor 
and  in  the  kamoi  overhead.  The  farther  recess  is  called  the 
tokonoma,  which  means  literally,  “ bed-space.”  This  recess,  or 
at  least  its  raised  platform,  is  supposed  to  have  been  anciently 
used  for  the  bed-place.1 

Let  us  pause  for  a moment  to  consider  the  peculiar  features 
of  this  room.  The  partition  separating  the  two  recesses  has 
for  its  post  a stick  of  timber,  from  which  the  bark  only  has 
been  removed ; and  this  post,  or  toko-bashira  as  it  is  called, 
is  almost  invariably  a stick  of  wood  in  its  natural  state,  or 
with  the  bark  only  removed ; and  if  it  is  gnarled,  or  tortuous 
in  grain,  or  if  it  presents  knots  or  burls,  it  is  all  the  more 
desirable.  Sometimes  the  post  may  be  hewn  in  such  a way 
that  in  section  it  has  an  octagonal  form,  — the  cutting  being 
done  in  broad  scarfs,  giving  it  a peculiar  appearance  as  shown 
in  fig.  113.  Sometimes  the  post  may  have  one  or  two  branches 
above,  which  are  worked  into  the  structure  as  an  ornamental 
feature.  The  ceiling  of  the  tokonoma  is  usually,  if  not  always. 

See  chapter  viii.  for  further  considerations  regarding  the  matter. 


134  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


flush  with  the  ceiling  of  the  room,  while  that  of  the  chigai- 
clanci  is  much  lower.  The  floor  of  the  tokonoma  is  higher 
than  that  of  the  chigai-dana,  and  its  sill  may  be  rough  or 
finished ; and  even  when  finished  squarely,  some 
natural  surface  may  be  left  through  the  curvature 
of  the  stick  from  which  it  has  been  hewn,  and  which 
had  been  selected  for  this  very  peculiarity,  — a fea- 
ture, by  the  way,  that  our 
carpenters  would  regard  as 
a blemish.  The  floor  of 
the  tokonoma  is  in  near- 
ly every  case  a polished 
plank ; the  floor  of  the 
chigai-dana  is  also  of  pol- 

Fig.  113.  ighed  wood.  A large  and 
Portion  op 

Toko-basiiira.  deep  tokonoma  may  have 
a mat,  or  tatami , fitted 
into  the  floor ; and  this  is  generally 
bordered  with  a white  strip,  and  not 
with  black  as  in  the  floor  tatami. 

The  tatami  in  this  place  is  found  in 
the  houses  of  the  Daimios. 

Spanning  the  tokonoma  above  is  a 
finished  beam  a foot  or  more  below 
the  ceiling,  the  interspace  above  being 
plastered,  as  are  the  walls  of  both 
recesses.  A similar  beam  spans  the 
chigai-dana  at  a somewhat  lower  level. 

When  the  cross-beam  of  the  chigai- 
dana  connects  with  the  toko-bashira, 
as  well  as  in  the  joining  of  other  horizontal  beams  with  the  up- 
rights, ornamental-headed  nails  are  used.  These  are  often  of 
elaborately-wrought  metal,  representing  a variety  of  natural  or 


Figs.  114,  115,  116,  and  117- 
Ornamental-headed  Nails. 


TOKONOMA.  — CHI  GAI-DA  NA. 


135 


conventional  forms.  Figs.  114,  115,  116,  and  117  present  a few 
of  the  cheaper  forms  used ; these  being  of  cast  metal,  the  finer 
lines  only  having  been  cut  by  hand.  These  nails,  or  Jcazari-kugi, 
are  strictly  ornamental,  having  only  a spur  behind  to  hold  them 
into  the  wood. 

The  partition  dividing  these  two  recesses  often  has  an  orna- 
mental opening,  either  in  the  form  of  a small  window  barred  with 
bamboo,  or  left  open ; or  this  opening  may  be  near  the  floor,  with 
its  border  made  of  a curved  stick  of  wood,  as  in  the  figure  we  are 
now  describing. 

In  the  chigai-dana  there  are  always  one  or  more  shelves 
ranged  in  an  alternating  manner,  with  usually  a continuous 
shelf  above  closed  by  sliding  doors.  A little  closet  on  the  floor 
in  the  corner  of  the  recess  is  also  closed  by  screens,  as  shown 
in  the  figure.  The  wood-work  of  this  may  be  quaintly-shaped 
sticks  or  highly-polished  wood. 

This  room  illustrates  very  clearly  a peculiar  feature  in  Jap- 
anese decoration,  — that  of  avoiding,  as  far  as  possible,  bi-lateral 
symmetry.  Here  are  two  rooms  of  the  same  size  and  shape, 
the  only  difference  consisting  in  the  farther  room  having  two 
recesses,  while  the  room  nearer  has  a large  closet  closed  by 
sliding  screens.  It  will  he  observed,  however,  that  in  the  far- 
ther room  the  narrow  strips  of  wood,  upon  which  the  boards  of 
the  ceiling  rest,  run  parallel  to  the  tokonoma,  while  in  the  nearer 
room  the  strips  run  at  right  angles.  The  mats  in  the  two  rooms, 
while  arranged  in  the  usual  manner  for  an  eight-mat  room,  are 
placed  in  opposite  ways  ; that  is  to  say,  as  the  mats  in  front  of 
the  tokonoma  and  chigai-dana  are  always  parallel  to  these  recesses, 
the  other  mats  are  arranged  in  accordance  with  these.  In  the 
room  coming  next,  the  arrangement  of  mats,  while  being  the 
same,  have  the  two  mats  running  parallel  to  the  line  dividing 
the  rooms,  and  of  course  the  other  mats  in  accordance  with 
these.  This  asymmetry  is  carried  out,  of  course,  in  the  two 


136  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


recesses,  which  are  unlike  in  every  detail,  — their  doors  as  well 
as  the  lower  borders  of  their  hanging  partitions  being  at  differ- 
ent levels.  And  in  the  details  of  the  chigai-dana  symmetrical  ar- 
rangement is  almost  invariably  avoided,  the  little  closet  on  the 
door  being  at  one  side,  while  a shelf  supported  on  a single  prop 
runs  from  the  corner  of  this  closet  to  the  other  side  of  the  re- 
cess ; and  if  another  shelf  is  added,  this  is  arranged  in  an  equally 
unsymmetrical  manner.  In  fact  everywhere,  in  mats,  ceiling, 
and  other  details,  a two-sided  symmetry  is  carefully  avoided. 

How  different  has  been  the  treatment  of  similar  features  in  the 
dnish  of  American  rooms ! Everywhere  in  our  apartments,  halls, 
school-houses,  inside'  and  out,  a monotonous  bi-lateral  symmetry 
is  elaborated  to  the  minutest  particular,  even  to  bracket  and 
notch  in  pairs.  The  dreplace  is  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  the 
mantel,  and  all  the  work  about  this  opening,  duplicated  with 
painful  accuracy  on  each  side  of  a median  line ; every  orna- 
ment on  the  mantel-shelf  is  in  pairs,  and  these  are  arranged  in 
the  same  way  ; a single  object,  like  a French  clock,  is  adjusted 
in  the  dead  centre  of  this  shelf,  so  that  each  half  of  the  mantel 
shall  get  its  half  of  a clock ; a pair  of  andirons  below,  and  por- 
traits of  ancestral  progenitors  on  each  side  above  keep  up  this 
intolerable  monotony ; and  opposite,  two  windows  v ith  draped 
curtains  parted  right  and  left,  and  a symmetrical  table  or  cabinet 
between  the  two,  are  in  rigid  adherence  to  this  senseless  scheme. 
And  outside  the  monotony  is  still  more  dreadful,  even  to  the 
fences,  carriage-way  and  flower-beds ; indeed,  false  windows  are 
introduced  in  adherence  to  this  inane  persistency  in  traditional 
methods.  Within  ten  years  some  progress  has  been  made 
among  the  better  class  of  American  houses  in  breaking  away 
from  this  false  and  tiresome  idea,  and  our  houses  look  all  the 
prettier  for  these  changes.  In  decoration,  as  well,  we  have 
made  great  strides  in  the  same  direction,  thanks  to  the  influ- 
ence of  Japanese  methods. 


TOKONOMA.  — CHI GAI-DANA. 


1 OH- 
IO/ 

While  the  general  description  just  given  of  the  tokonoma  and 
chigai-dana  may  be  regarded  as  typical  of  the  prevailing  features 
of  these  recesses,  nevertheless  their  forms  and  peculiarities  are 
infinitely  varied.  It  is  indeed  rare  to  find  the  arrangement  of  the 
shelves  and  cupboards  in  the  chigai-dana  alike  in  any  two  houses, 
as  will  be  seen  by  a study  of  the  figures  which  are  to  follow. 
Usually  these  two  recesses  are  side  by  side,  and  run  at  right  angles 
with  the  verandah,  the  tokonoma  almost  invariably  coming  next  to 
the  verandah.  Sometimes,  however,  these  two  recesses  may  stand 
at  right  angles  to  one  another,  coming  in  a corner  of  the  room 
away  from  the  verandah.  The  tokonoma  may  he  seen  also  with- 
out its  companion  recess,  and  sometimes  it  may  occiqoy  an  entire 
side  of  the  room,  in  which  case 
it  not  infrequently  accommo- 
dates a set  of  two  or  three 
pictures.  When  these  recesses 
come  side  by  side,  it  is  usual  to 
have  an  entire  mat  in  front  of 
each  recess.  The  guest  of  honor 
is  seated  on  the  mat  in  front  of 
the  tokonoma,  while  the  guest 
next  in  honor  occupies  a mat 
in  front  of  the  chigai-dana. 

This  recess  has  a variety  of  names,  according  to  the  form  and 
arrangement  of  the  shelves.  It  is  usually  called  chigai-dana,  — the 
word  chigai  meaning  “ different,”  and  dana,  “shelf,”  as  the  shelves 
are  arranged  alternately.  It  is  also  called  usukasumi-dana,  which 
means  “thin  mist-shelf,” — the  shelves  in  this  case  being  arranged 
in  a way  in  which  they  often  conventionally  represent  mist  or 
clouds,  as  shown  in  their  formal  designs  of  these  objects  (fig.  118, 
in  which  the  upper  outline  shows  the  form  of  shelf,  and  the  lower 
outline  the  conventional  drawing  of  cloud).  When  only  one  shelf 
is  seen  it  may  be  called  ichi-yo-dana ; the  form  of  the  shelf 


y 


Fig.  118.- — Shelves  contrasted  with 
Conventional  Drawing  oeMist,  or 
Clouds. 


138  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


suggests  such  names  as  willow-leaf  shelf,  fish-slielf,  etc.  In  this 
recess,  as  we  have  seen,  are  usually  shelves  and  a cupboard ; 
and  the  arrangements  of  these  are  almost  as  numberless  as  the 
houses  containing  them,  — at  least  it  is  rare  to  see  two  alike.  A 
shelf  in  the  chigai-dana,  having  a rib  or  raised  portion  on  its  free 
end,  is  called  a maki-mono-clana.  On  this  shelf  the  long  picture- 
scrolls  called  maki-mono  are  placed ; the  ceremonial  hat  was  also 
placed  on  one  of  the  shelves.  It  was  customary  to  place  on 


top  of  the  cupboard  a lacquer-box,  in  which  was  contained  an  ink- 
stone,  brushes,  and  paper.  This  box  Was  usually  very  rich  in  its 
gold  lacquer  and  design.  In  the  houses  of  the  nobles  the  top  of 
the  cupboard  was  also  used  to  hold  a wooden  tablet  called  a 
shaku,  — an  object  carried  by  the  nobles  in  former  times,  when  in 
the  presence  of  the  Emperor.  It  was  anciently  used  to  make  mem- 
oranda upon,  but  in  later  days  is  carried  only  as  a form  of  court 
etiquette.  The  sword-rack  might  also  be  placed  on  the  cupboard. 
In  honor  of  distinguished  guests  the  sword-rack  was  placed  in  the 


TOKONOMA.  — CHIGAI-DANA. 


139 


tokonoma  in  the  place  of  honor ; that  is,  in  the  middle  of  its  floor, 
or  toko,  in  front  of  the  hanging  picture,  — though  if  an  incense- 
burner  occupied  this  position,  then  the  sword-rack  was  placed  at 
one  side.  While  these  recesses  were  usually  finished  with  wood 
in  its  natural  state  or  simply  planed,  in  the  houses  of  the  nobles 
this  finish  was  often  richly  lacquered. 

Resuming  our  description  of  interiors,  a peculiar  form  of  room 
is  shown  in  the  house  of  a gentleman  of  high  rank  (fig.  119). 


Fig.  120.  — Guest-room,  with  Recesses  in  Corner. 


Here  the  tokonoma  was  much  larger  than  its  companion  recess, 
which  in  this  case  was  next  to  the  verandah.  The  chigai-dana 
was  small  and  low,  and  the  spaces  beneath  the  shelves  were 
enclosed  by  sliding  screens  forming  cupboards.  The  tokonoma 
was  large  and  deep,  and  its  floor  was  covered  by  a mat  or  tatami ; 
the  flower- vase  was  at  one  side. 

The  depth  of  the  tokonoma  is  generally  governed  by  the  size  of 
the  room.  The  appointments  of  this  recess  are  also  always  in 


140  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


proportion,  — the  pictures  and  flower-vase  being  of  large  size  in 
the  one  just  described. 

In  a spacious  hall  in  Tokio  is  a tokonoma  six  feet  in  depth,  and 
very  wide.  The  flower-vases  and  pictures  in  this  recess  were 
colossal.  In  an  adjoining  room  to  the  one  last  figured  the  toko- 
noma  came  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  and  the  chigai-dana  was  at 
right  angles  with  it.  To  the  right  of  the  tokonoma  was  a perma- 


Fig.  121.  — Guest-room  showing  Circular  Window- 


nent  partition,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  a circular  window 
closed  by  shoji  which  parted  right  and  left.  The  shoji  may 
have  run  within  the  partition,  or  rested  in  a grooved  frame 
on  the  other  side  of  the  wall.  Above  this  circular  window  and 
near  the  ceiling  was  a long  rectangular  window,  also  having 
shoji , which  coidd  be  open  for  ventilation.  To  the  left  of  the 
chigai-dana  was  a row  of  deep  cupboards  enclosed  by  a set  of 


TOKONOMA.  — CH  IGA  I- DA  NA . 


141 


sliding  screens ; above  was  a broad  shelf,  upon  the  upper  surface 
of  which  ran  shoji,  which  when  opened  revealed  another  room 
beyond.  The  frieze  of  this  recess  had  a perforated  design  of 
waves  (fig.  120). 

Severe  and  simple  as  a Japanese  room  appears  to  be,  it  may  be 
seen  by  this  figure  how  many  features  for  decorative  display  come 


in.  The  ornamental  openings  or  windows  with  their  varied 
lattices,  the  sliding  screens  and  the  cupboards  with  their  rich 
sketches  of  landscapes  and  trees,  the  natural  woods,  indeed 
many  of  these  features  might  plainly  be  adopted  without  modi- 
fication for  our  rooms. 

In  another  room  (fig.  121)  of  a gentleman  famous  for  his 
invention  of  silk-reeling  machinery  the  tokonoma,  instead  of 
being  open  to  the  verandah,  was  protected  by  a permanent 


142  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNHINGS. 


partition  filling  half  the  side  of  the  room  bordering  the  veran- 
dah. In  this  partition  was  a large  circular  window,  having  a 
graceful  bamboo  frame-work.  This  opening  was  closed  on  the 
outside  by  a shoji,  which  hung  on  hooks  and  could  be  removed 
when  required.  In  this  case  the  honored  guest,  when  seated 
in  front  of  the  tokonoma,  is  protected  from  the  wind  and  sun 
while  the  rest  of  the  room  may  lie  open.  In  the  place  of  this 


Fig.  123.  — Guest-room  with  wide  Tokonoma. 


partition  there  is  often  seen,  in  houses  of  the  better  class,  a 
recess  having  a low  shelf,  with  cupboards  beneath  and  an  orna- 
mental window  above.  This  is  the  writing-place  (fig.  122)  ; 
and  upon  the  shelf  are  placed  the  ink-stone,  water-bottle,  brush- 
rest  and  brushes,  paper-weight,  and  other  conveniences  of  a 
literary  man.  Above  are  often  suspended  a bell  and  wooden 
hammer,  to  call  the  servants  when  required.  A hanging  vase 
of  flowers  is  often  suspended  from  the  partition  above.  For 


TOKONOMA.  — CHI  GAI-DANA. 


143 


want  of  an  original  sketch  showing  this  recess  I have  adapted 
one  from  a Japanese  book,  entitled  “Daiku  Tana  Hinagata,”  Yol. 
II.  Those  who  have  chanced  to  see  the  club  rooms  of  the 
Koyokuan  will  recall  the  elaborate  and  beautiful  panel  of  geo- 
metric work  that  fills  the  window  of  a recess  of  this  nature 


Fig.  124.  — Small  Guest-room. 


Tn  Fig.  123  the  tokonoma  occupies  almost  the  entire  side 
of  the  room,  the  chigai-dana  being  reduced  to  an  angular  cup- 
board placed  in  the  corner  and  a small  hooded  partition  hang- 
ing down  from  above ; the  small  window  near  by,  with  bamboo 
lattice,  opened  into  another  room  beyond.  A tokonoma  of  this 
kind  is  available  for  the  display  of  sets  of  three  or  four  pic- 
tures. This  room  was  in  the  house  of  a former  Daimio. 


144  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


In  the  next  figure  (fig.  124)  we  have  the  sketch  of  a small 
room  with  the  tokonoma  facing  the  verandah,  and  with  no  com- 
panion recess.  The  little  window  near  the  floor  opened  into 
the  tokonoma,  which  extended  behind  the  partition  as  far  as 


Fig.  125.  — Guest-room  op  Dwelling  in  Tokio. 


the  upright  beam.  The  post  which  formed  one  side  of  the  to- 
konoma was  a rough  and  irregular-shaped  stick.  The  treat- 
ment of  cutting  away  a larger  portion  of  it,  though  hardly 
constructive,  yet  added  a quaint  effect  to  the  room  ; while  the 
cross-beam  of  the  tokonoma . usually  a square  and  finished 


TOKONOMA.  — CHI  GAI-DANA. 


145 


beam,  in  this  case  was  in  a natural  state,  the  bark  only  being 
removed. 

In  fig.  125  is  shown  a room  of  the  plainest  description  ; it 
was  severe  in  its  simplicity.  Here  the  tokonoma,  though  on 
that  side  of  the  room  running  at  right  angles  with  the  veian- 
dah,  was  in  the  corner  of  the  room,  while  the  cliigai-dana 
was  next  to  the  verandah.  The  recesses  were  cpfite  deep,  — the 
« cliigai-dana  having  a single  broad  shelf,  as  broad  as  the  depth 


of  the  recess,  this  forming  the  top  of  a spacious  closet  be- 
neath. In  the  partition  dividing  these  two  recesses  was  a long 
narrow  rectangular  opening.  The  little  bamboo  flower-holder 
hanging  to  the  post  of  the  toko-bashira  had,  besides  a few  flowers, 
two  long  twigs  of  willow,  which  were  made  to  bend  gracefully 
in  front  of  the  tokonoma.  The  character  of  this  room  indicated 
that  its  owner  was  a lover  of  the  tea-ceremonies. 

The  next  figure  (fig.  126)  is  that  of  a room  in  the  second 
story  of  the  house  of  a famous  potter  in  Kioto.  This  room 

10 


146  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


was  remarkable  for  the  purity  of  its  finish.  The  toko-bashira 
consisted  of  an  unusually  twisted  stick  of  some  kind  of  hard 
wood,  the  bark  having  been  removed,  exposing  a surface  of 
singulai  smoothness.  The  hooded  partition  over  the  chig ai-dcinct 
had  for  its  lower  border  a rich  dark-brown  bamboo;  tire  ver- 


Fig.  127-  — Guest-room  of  Dwelling  in  Tokio. 


tical  piece  forming  the  other  side  of  the  chigai-dana  was  a black 
post  hewn  in  an  octagonal  shape,  with  curious  irregular  cross- 
cuts on  the  faces.  The  sliding  doors  closing  the  shelf  in  this 
recess  were  covered  with  gold  paper.  The  liikite  consisted  of 
sections  of  bamboo  let  in  to  the  surface.  The  plaster  of  both 
recesses  was  a rich,  warm,  umber  color.  The  ceiling;  consisted 

O 


TOIiONOMA.  — CHIGAI-DANA. 


147 


of  large  square  panels  of  old  cedar  richly  grained.  This  room 
was  comparatively  modern,  having  been  built  in  1868. 

Fig.  127  represents  a room  in  the  second  story  of  a house- 
in  Tokio.  The  recesses  were  remarkably  rich  and  effective. 
The  entire  end  of  the  room  formed  a recess,  having  a plaited 
ceiling;  and  within  this  recess  were  the  tokonoma  and  chigai- 
dano,  each  having  its  own  hooded  partition  at  a different  level 


Fig.  128.  — Guest-room  of  a Country  House. 


and  depth,  — the . vertical  partition  usually  dividing  these  reces- 
ses being  represented  only  by  a square  beam  against  the  wall. 
A reference,  however,  to  the  figure  will  convey  a clearer  idea 
of  these  features  than  any  description.  The  ceiling,  which  was 
quite  remarkable  in  its  way,  will  be  described  later. 

The  next  interior  (fig.  128)  represents  a room  in  a country 
house  of  the  poorer  class.  The  recesses  were  of  the  plainest 
description.  The  tokonoma  was  modified  in  a curious  way  by 
.a  break  in  the  partition  above,  and  beneath  this  modification 
was  a shelf  wrought  out  of  a black,  worm-eaten  plank  from 


148  JAPANESE  HOMES  ANI)  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


some  old  shipwreck.  The  chigai-dana  had  an  angular-shaped 
shelf  in  one  of  its  corners,  and  in  the  other  corner  two  little 
shelves  supported  by  a post.  The  floor  of  this  recess  was  on 
a level  with  the  mats,  while  the  floor  of  the  tokonoma  was  only 
slightly  raised  above  this  level. 

The  figures  of  interiors  thus  far  given  present  some  idea 
of  the  infinite  variety  of  design  seen  in  the  two  recesses  which 
characterize  the  best  room  in  the  house.  The  typical  form 


Chinese  characters  which  convey  some  moral  precept,  or  lines 
from  some  classical  poem.  On  its  floor  rests  the  vase  for  flowers, 
a figure  in  pottery,  an  incense  burner,  a fragment  of  quartz,  or 
other  object,  these  being  often  supported  by  a lacquer  stand. 
In  the  chigai-dana  convenient  shelves  and  closets  are  arranged 
in  a variety  of  ways,  to  be  used  for  a variety  of  purposes. 

The  arrangement  of  the  cross-ties  in  relation  to  the  tokonoma 
and  shoji  is  illustrated  in  fig.  129,  which  shows  the  corner  of 
a room  with  the  upper  portion  of  the  tokonoma  and  shoji 
showing.  The  use  made  of  the  ornamental-headed  nail  is  seen 
where  the  kamoi  joins  the  corner  post. 


Fig.  129.  — Corner  of  Guest-room. 


1 ir 


having  been  shown  in 
fig.  96,  it  will  be  seen 
how  far  these  bays 
may  vary  in  form  and 
structure  while  still 
possessing  the  distin- 
guishing features  of 
the  tokonoma  and 
chigai-dana . In  the 
first  recess  hangs  the 
ever  present  scroll, 
upon  which  may  be 
a picture ; or  it  may 
present  a number  of 


TEA-ROOMS. 


149 


In  bouses  of  two  stories  greater  latitude  is  shown  in  tlie 
arrangement  of  these  recesses.  They  may  come  opposite  the 
balcony,  and  the  chigai-dana  may  have  in  its  back  wall  an 
opening  either  circular,  crescent-shaped,  or  of  some  other  form, 
from  which  a pleasing  view  is  obtained  either  of  the  garden 
below  or  some  distant  range  beyond. 

Thus  far  we  have  examined  the  room  which  would  parallel 
our  drawing-room  or  parlor ; the  other  rooms  vary  from  this  in 
being  smaller,  and  having,  of  course,  no  recesses  such  as  have 
been  described.  By  an  examination  of  the  plans  given  in  the 
first  part  of  this  chapter,  it  will  be  seen  how  very  simple  many 
of  the  rooms  are,  — sometimes  having  a recess  for  a case  of 
drawers  or  shelves ; a closet,  possibly,  but  nothing  else  to  break 
the  rectangular  outline,  which  may  be  bounded  on  all  sides  by 
the  sliding  fusuma , or  have  one  or  more  permanent  partitions. 

Another  class  of  rooms  may  here  be  considered,  the  details  of 
which  are  more  severely  simple  even  than  those  of  the  rooms  just 
described.  These  apartments  are  constructed  expressly  for  cere- 
monial tea-parties.  A volume  might  be  tilled  with  a description 
of  the  various  forms  of  buildings  connected  with  these  observ- 
ances ; and  indeed  another  volume  might  be  Idled  with  the 
minor  details  associated  with  their  different  schools. 

In  brief,  the  party  comes  about  by  the  host  inviting  a com- 
pany of  four  to  attend  the  tea-ceremony,  and  in  their  presence 
making  the  tea  in  a bowl  after  certain  prescribed  forms,  and 
offering  it  to  the  guests.  To  be  more  explicit  as  to  the  mode 
of  conducting  this  ceremony,  — the  tea  is  first  prepared  by  grind- 
ing it  to  a fine,  almost  impalpable,  powder.  This  may  be  done 
by  a servant  before  the  assemblage  of  the  guests,  or  may  be 
ordered  ground  from  a tea  shop ; indeed,  the  host  may  grind  it 
himself.  This  material,  always  freshly  ground  for  each  party,  is 
usually  kept  in  a little  earthen  jar,  having  an  ivory  cover,  — the 


150  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


well-known  cha-ire  of  the  collector.  Lacquer-boxes  may  also  be 
used  for  this  purpose.  The  principal  utensils  used  in  the  cere- 
mony consist  of  a furo,  or  fire-pot,  made  of  pottery  (or  use  may 
be  made  of  a depression  in  the  floor  partially  filled  with  ashes, 
iii  which  the  charcoal  may  be  placed) ; an  iron  kettle  to  boil 
the  water  in ; a bamboo  dipper  of  the  most  delicate  construc- 
tion, to  dip  out  the  water ; a wide-moutlied  jar,  from  which  to 
replenish  the  water  in  the  kettle ; a bowl,  in  which  the  tea  is 
made ; a bamboo  spoon,  to  dip  out  the  powdered  tea ; a bam- 
boo stirrer,  not  unlike  certain  forms  of  egg-beaters,  by  which 
the  tea  is  briskly  stirred  after  the  hot  water  has  been  added ; 
a square  silk  cloth,  with  which  to  wipe  the  jar  and  spoon 
properly ; a little  rest  for  the  tea-kettle  cover,  made  of  pottery 
or  bronze  or  section  of  bamboo ; a shallow  vessel,  in  which 
the  rinsings  of  the  tea-bowl  are  poured  after  washing ; a brush, 
consisting  of  three  feathers  of  the  eagle  or  some  other  large 
bird,  to  dust  the  edge  of  the  fire-vessel ; and  finally  a shallow 
basket,  in  which  is  not  only  charcoal  to  replenish  the  fire,  but 
a pair  of  metal  rods  or  hibashi  to  handle  the  coal,  two  inter- 
rupted metal  rings  by  which  the  kettle  is  lifted  off  the  fire,, 
a circular  mat  upon  which  the  kettle  is  placed,  and  a small 
box  containing  incense,  or  bits  of  wood  that  give  out  a peculiar 
fragrance  when  burned.  With  the  exception  of  the  fire-vessel 
and  an  iron  kettle,  all  these  utensils  have  to  be  brought  in 
by  the  host  with  great  formality  and  in  a certain  sequence, 
and  placed  with  great  precision  upon  the  mats  after  the  pre- 
scribed rules  of  certain  schools.  In  the  making  of  the  tea,  the 
utensils  are  used  in  a most  exact  and  formal  manner. 

The  making  of  the  tea,  watched  by  one  knowing  nothing  about 
the  ceremony,  seems  as  grotesque  a performance  as  one  can 
well  imagine.  Many  of  the  forms  connected  with  it  seem  use- 
lessly absurd ; and  yet  having  taken  many  lessons  in  the  art 
of  tea-making,  I found  that  with  few  exceptions  it  was  natural 


TEA-ROOMS. 


151 


and  easy  ; and  the  guests  assembled  on  such  an  occasion,  though 
at  first  sight  appearing  stiff,  are  always  perfectly  at  their  ease. 
The  proper  placing  of  the  utensils,  and  the  sequence  in  handling 
them  and  making  the  tea  are  all  natural  and  easy  movements, 
as  I have  said.  The  light  wiping  of  the  tea-jar,  and  the  wash- 
ing of  the  bowl  and  its  wiping  with  so  many  peripheral  jerks, 
the  dropping  of  the  stirrer  against  the  side  of  the  bowl  with 
a click  in  rinsing,  and  a few  of  the  other  usual  movements 
are  certainly  grotesquely  formal  enough ; but  I question  whether 
the  etiquette  of  a ceremonious  dinner-party  at  home,  with  the 
decorum  observed  in  the  proper  use  of  each  utensil,  does  not 
strike  a Japanese  as  equally  odd  and  incomprehensible  when 
experienced  by  him  for  the  first  time. 

This  very  brief  and  imperfect  allusion  has  been  made  in  order 
to  explain,  that  so  highly  do  the  Japanese  regard  this  ceremony 
that  little  isolated  houses  are  specially  constructed  for  the  express 
purpose  of  entertaining  tea-parties.  If  no  house  is  allotted  for 
the  purpose,  then  a special  room  is  fitted  for  it.  Many  books 
are  devoted  to  the  exposition  of  the  different  schools  of  tea- 
ceremonies,  illustrated  with  diagrams  showing  the  various  ways 
of  placing  the  utensils,  plans  of  the  tea-rooms,  and  all  the  details 
involved  in  the  observances. 

The  tea-cereinonies  have  had  a profound  influence  on  many 
Japanese  arts.  Particularly  have  they  affected  the  pottery  of 
Japan  ; for  the  rigid  simplicity,  approaching  an  affected  rough- 
ness and  poverty,  which  characterizes  the  tea-room  and  many 
of  the  utensils  used  in  the  ceremony,  has  left  its  impress  upon 
many  forms  of  pottery.  It  has  also  had  an  influence  on 
even  the  few  rustic  and  simple  adornments  allowed  in  the 
room,  and  has  held  its  sway  over  the  gardens,  gateways,  and 
fences  surrounding  the  house.  Indeed,  it  has  had  an  effect  on 
the  Japanese  almost  equal  to  that  of  Calvinistic  doctrines  on 
the  early  Puritans.  The  one  suppressed  the  exuberance  of  an 


152  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


art-loving  people,  and  brought  many  of  their  decorative  impulses 
down  to  a restful  purity  and  simplicity ; but  in  the  case  of  the 
Puritans  and  their  immediate  descendants,  who  had  but  little 
of  the  art-spirit  to  spare,  their  sombre  dogmas  crushed  the  little 
love  for  art  that  might  have  dawned,  and  rendered  intolerably 
woful  and  sepulchral  the  lives  and  homes  of  our  ancestors ; and 


Fig.  130.  — Tea-room  in  Nan-en-ji  Temple,  Kioto. 


when  some  faint  groping  for  art  and  adornment  here  and  there 
appeared,  it  manifested  itself  only  in  wretched  samplers  and 
hideous  tomb-stones,  with  tearful  willow  or  death-bed  scenes 
done  in  cold  steel,  Whittier  gives  a good  picture  of  such  a 
home,  in  his  poem  “Among  the  Hills”:  — 

“ bookless,  pictureless, 

Save  the  inevitable  sampler  hung 

Over  the  fireplace ; or  a mourning-piece,  — 

A green-haired  woman,  peony-cheeked,  beneath 
Impossible  willows ; the  wide-throated  hearth 
Bristling  with  faded  pine-boughs,  half  concealing 
The  piled-up  rubbish  at  the  chimney’s  back.” 


TEA-ROOMS. 


153 


But  we  are  digressing.  Having  given  some  idea  of  the  formal 
character  of  the  tea-ceremonies,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that 
special  rooms,  and  even  special  buildings,  should  be  designed  and 
built  expressly  for  those  observances.  We  give  a few  illustra- 
tions of  the  interiors  of  rooms  used  for  this  purpose. 

Fig.  130  is  that  of  a room  in  Nan-en-ji  temple,  in  Kioto,  said  to 
have  been  specially  designed,  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth 


century,  by  Kobori  Yenshiu,  — a famous  master  of  tea-ceremonies, 
and  a founder  of  one  of  its  schools.  The  room  was  exceedingly 
small,  a four  and  a half  mat  room  I believe,  which  is  the  usual 
size.  The  drawing,  from  necessity  of  perspective,  makes  it  appear 
much  larger.  The  ceiling  was  of  rush  and  bamboo ; the  walls 
were  roughly  plastered  with  bluish-gray  clay ; the  cross-ties 
and  uprights  were  of  pine,  with  the  bark  retained.  The  room 
had  eight  small  windows  of  various  sizes,  placed  at  various 


154  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

heights  in  different  parts  of  the  room ; and  this  was  in  accord- 
ance with  Yenshiu’s  taste.  Only  one  recess,  the  tokonoma,  is 
seen  in  the  room,  — in  which  may  hang  at  the  time  of  a party 
a picture,  to  be  replaced,  at  a certain  period  of  the  ceremony, 

or  fireplace,  is  a de- 
pressed area  in  the 
floor,  deep  enough  to 
hold  a considerable 
amount  of  ashes,  as 
well  as  a tripod  up- 
on which  the  kettle 
rests. 

Fig.  131  represents 
an  odd-looking  tea- 
room,  at  the  Fujimi 
pottery,  in  Nagoya, 
where  tea  was  made 
and  served  to  us  by 
the  potter’s  daugh- 
ter. The  room  was 
simple  enough,  yet 
quite  ornate  com- 
pared with  the  one 
first  described.  The  ceiling  consisted  of  a matting  of  thin  wood- 
strips,  bamboo  and  red  pine  being  used  for  the  cross-ties  and 
uprights.  The  tokonoma,  having  a bamboo  post,  is  seen  at  the 
left  of  the  figure.  The  ro,  in  this  case,  was  triangular. 

In  fig.  132  is  represented  a view  of  a small  tea-room  at 
Miyajima;  the  chasteness  of  its  finish  is  but  feebly  conveyed 
in  the  figure.  Here  the  ro  was  circular,  and  was  placed  in  a 
wide  plank  of  polished  wood.  The  room  was  connected  with 
other  apartments  of  the  house,  and  did  not  constitute  a house 
by  itself. 


by  a hanging  basket  of  flowers.  The  ro, 


V. 

\ \ \ \ \ \ 1 

1 1 1 / M 

x-\  \ \ \ \ \ \ . _L 

~ rr~rr 

p 

\ \ \ \ A X T 

i i / / 4 

!k  \ \ ..v.  \.  \.  \ T J 
1 '111111111  iii.  iiiiiiriin'i'iiiiiiiiiin  mu  H" 

— ‘‘Wlfil 

m 

Pig.  132.  — Tea-room  in  Miyajima. 


TEA-BOOMS. 


155 


In  some  houses  there  is  a special  place  or  room  adjoining  the 
tea-room,  in  which  the  tea-utensils  are  kept  properly  arranged, 
and  from  which  they  are  brought  when  tea  is  made,  and  to  which 


they  are  afterwards  returned  with  great  formality.  Fig.  133 
represents  one  of  these  rooms  in  a house  in  Imado,  Tokio.  In  this 
room  the  same  simplicity  of  finish  was  seen.  It  was  furnished 


156  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


with  shelves,  a little  closet  to  contain  the  utensils,  and  a de- 
pressed area  in  the  floor,  having  for  its  bottom  a bamboo  grating 
through  which  the  water  ran  when  emptied  into  it.  Resting  upon 
this  bamboo  grating  were  a huge  pottery-vessel  for  water  and  a 
common  liand-basin  of  copper.  The  floor  was  of  polished  wood. 


Fig.  134.  — Tea-room  ra  Imado,  Tokio. 


At  the  farther  end  was  the  entrance,  by  means  of  a low  door, 
closed  by  fusuma. 

In  fig.  134  is  given  the  view  of  a room  in  a Tokio  house 
that  was  extremely  ornate  in  its  finish.  The  owner  of  the 
house  had  built  it  some  thirty  years  before,  and  had  intended 
carrying  out  Chinese  ideas  of  design  and  furnishing.  Whether 
he  had  got  his  ideas  from  books,  or  had  evolved  them  from  his 
inner  consciousness,  I do  not  know ; certain  it  is,  that  although 
he  had  worked  into  its  structure  a number  of  features  actually 


TEA-ROOMS. 


1ST 


brought  from  China,  I must  say  that  in  my  limited  observations 
in  that  country  I saw  nothing  approaching  such  an  interior  or 
building.  The  effect  of  the  room  was  certainly  charming,  and 
the  most  elaborate  finish  with  expensive  woods  had  been  employed 
in  its  construction.  It  seemed  altogether  too  ornamental  for  the 


tea-ceremonies  to  suit  the  Japanese  taste.  The  ceiling  was  par- 
ticularly unique  ; for  running  diagonally  across  it  from  one  corner 
to  the  other  was  a stout  bamboo  in  two  curves,  and  upon  this 
bamboo  was  engraved  a Chinese  poem.  The  ceiling  on  one  side  of 
the  bamboo  was  finished  in  large  square  panels  of  an  elaborately- 
grained  wood  ; on  the  other  side  were  small  panels  of  cedar.  Ex- 
otic woods,  palms,  bamboo,  and  red-pine  were  used  for  cross-ties- 


158  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


and  uprights.  The  panels  of  the  little  closet  in  some  cases  had 
beautiful  designs  painted  upon  them ; other  panels  were  of  wood, 
Avith  the  designs  inlaid  in  various  colored  woods,  — the  musical 
instrument,  the  biiva,  shown  in  the  sketch,  being  inlaid  in  this 
way.  The  Avails  were  tinted  a sober  brown.  It  was  certainly 
one  of  the  most  unique  interiors  that  I saAv  in  Japan.  To  the 
right  of  the  tokonoma  the  apartment  opened  into  a small  entry 
which  led  to  a flight  of  stairs,  — for  this  room  was  in  the  second 
story  of  the  house.  The  corner  of  the  room,  as  it  appeared  from 
the  tokonoma , is  shown  in  fig.  135.  The  long,  Ioav  window 
(Avliich  also  shows  in  fig.  134)  opened  on  the  roof  of  the  entrance 
beloAv ; another  narrower  and  higher  window  opened  on  the  roof 
of  an  L.  In  the  little  recess,  Avliich  has  for  a corner-post  a crooked 
-stick,  — the  crook  forming  one  border  of  an  opening  in  the  cor- 
ner,— Avas  hung  a picture  or  a basket  of  flowers. 

The  second  stories  of  shops  are  often  used  as  living  rooms. 
Fig.  136  represents  a room  of  this  nature  in  a shop  in  Kawagoye, 
in  Musashi,  nearly  three  hundred  years  old.  Two  long,  Ioav  Avin- 
doAvs,  opening  on  the  street,  Avere  deeply  recessed  and  heaAuly 
barred ; above  these  openings  Avere  low  deep  cupboards,  closed 
by  long  sliding  doors.  The  room  Avas  dusty  and  unused,  but  I 
could  not  help  noticing  in  this  old  building,  as  in  the  old 
buildings  at  home,  the  heavy  character  of  the  framework  Avliere 
it  appeared  in  sight. 

Reference  has  been  made  to  the  fact  that  kura,  or  fire-proof 
buildings,  are  often  fitted  up  for  living-rooms.  Fig.  137  (see 
page  160)  represents  the  loAver  room  of  the  corner  building 
shown  on  page  75  (fig.  57).  It  has  already  been  stated  that  the 
Avails  of  such  a building  are  of  great  thickness,  and  that  one 
small  window  and  doonvay  are  often  the  only  openings  in  the 
room.  The  Avails  are  consequently  cold  and  damp  at  certain 
seasons  of  the  year. 


K VRA. 


159 


For  the  fitting  up  of  such  a room,  to  adapt  it  for  a living-place, 
a light  frame-work  of  bamboo  is  constructed,  which  stands  away 
from  the  walls  at  a distance  of  two  or  three  feet ; upon  this,  cloth 
is  stretched  like  a curtain.  The  frame- work  forms  a ceilino;  as 
well,  so  that  the  rough  walls  and  beams  of  the  floor  above  are 
concealed  by  this  device.  At  one  side  the  cloth  is  arranged  to  be 
looped  up  like  a curtain,  so  that  one  may  pass  outside  the  drapery. 


Fig.  136.  — Room  in  Second  Story  of  Old  Building  in  Kaivagoye,  Musasiii. 


The  owner  of  this  apartment  was  an  eminent  antiquarian,  and  the 
walls  of  the  room  were  lined  with  shelves  and  cases  which  were 
filled  with  old  books  and  pictures,  rare  scrolls,  and  bric-a-brac.  A 
loft  above,  to  which  access  was  gained  by  a perilous  flight  of  steps, 
was  filled  with  ancient  relics  of  all  kinds,  — stone  implements,  old 
pottery,  quaint  writing-desks,  and  rare  manuscripts.  The  cloth 
which  formed  this  supplementary  partition  was  of  a light,  thin 
texture ; and  when  the  owner  went  in  search  of  some  object 
on  the  other  side  of  it,  I could  trace  him  by  his  candle-light 


160  JAP  AXE  SE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


as  lie  wandered  about  behind  the  curtain.  The  furniture  used 
in  the  room,  and  shown  in  the  sketch,  — consisting  of  book- 
shelves, table,  JiibacM,  and  other  objects, — was  in  nearly  every 
case  precious  antiques. 

That  the  rooms  of  kura  were  fitted  up  in  this  way  in  past 
times  is  evident  in  the  fact  that  old  books  not  only  represent  this 
method  in  their  pictures,  but  special  details  of  the  construction  of 


the  framework  are  given.  In  an  old  book  in  the  possession  of 

Mr.  K , published  one  hundred  and  eighty  years  ago,  a figure 

of  one  of  these  frames  is  given,  with  all  the  details  of  its  struc- 
ture, metal  sockets,  key-bolts,  etc.,  a copy  of  which  may  be  seen 
in  fig.  138. 

In  connection  with  this  room,  and  the  manner  of  looping  up 
the  curtains  at  the  side,  I got  from  this  scholar  the  first  rational 
explanation  of  the  meaning  of  the  two  narrow  bands  which  hang 
down  from  the  upper  part  of  the  usual  form  of  a Japanese 


KURA. 


161 


picture,  — the  hake-mono.  That  these  were  survivals  of  useful 
appendages,  — rudimentary  organs,  so  to  speak,  there  could  be 
no  doubt.  Mr.  K told  me  that  in  former  times  the  pic- 

tures, mainly  of  a religious  character,  were  suspended  from  a 
frame.  Long  bands  trailed  down  behind  the  picture ; and 
shorter  ones,  so  as  not 
to  obscure  it,  hung 
down  in  front.  When 
the  picture  was  rolled 
up,  it  was  held  in  po- 
sition by  tying  these 
bands.  When  the  cus- 
tom came  to  hang; 
these  pictures  perma- 
nently against  the 
wall,  the  long  bands 
were  finally  discarded, 
while  the  shorter  ones 
in  front  survived.  In 
old  books  there  are 
illustrated  methods 
by  which  curtain-like 
screens  hanging  on 
frames  were  tied  up 
in  this  way,  — the  long  bands  being  behind,  and  the  short  ones 
showing  in  front.  When  the  wind  blew  through  the  apartment 
the  curtains  were  tied  up ; and,  curiously  enough,  the  bands  on  a 
hake-mono  are  called  fu-tai,  or  haze-obi,  which  literally  means 
“ wind-bands.”  This  is  the  explanation  given  me  ; but  it  is  quite 
probable  that  large  pictures  hanging  against  the  walls,  when 
disturbed  by  the  wind,  were  tied  up  by  these  bands. 

While  the  hura  generally  stands  isolated  from  the  dwelling- 
house,  it  is  often  connected  with  the  house  by  a light  structure  of 

li 


Fig.  138. — Framework  por.  Draping 
Doom  in  Kura. 


162  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


wood,  roofed  over,  and  easily  demolished  in  case  of  a fire.  Such 
an  apartment  may  be  used  for  a kitchen,  or  porch  to  a kitchen. 


Fig.  139.  — Space  between  Dwelling  and  Kura,  roofed  over 

AND  UTILIZED  AS  A KlTCHEN  IN  TOKIO. 


or  store-room  for  household  utensils.  A figure  is  here  given 
(fig.  139)  showing  the  appearance  of  a structure  of  this  kind, 
which  is  lightly  attached  to  the  sides  of  the  kura.  This  apart- 


KURA. 


163- 


ment  was  used  as  a store-room,  and  in  the  sketch  is  shown  a 
wooden  case,  lanterns,  and  buckets,  and  such  objects  as  might 
accumulate  in  a shed  or  store-room  at  home. 

The  ponderous  doors  of  the  kura,  which  are  kept  permanently 
open,  have  casings  of  boards  held  in  place  by  a wooden  pin,  which 
passes  through  an  iron  staple  in  the  door.  This  casing  is  to  pro- 


Fifi.  140.  — Doorway  of  an  old  Kura  in  Kioto. 


tect  the  door  — which,  like  the  walls  of  the  kura , is  composed  of 
mud  and  plaster  supported  by  a stout  frame  — from  being  scarred 
and  battered ; and  at  the  same  time  it  is  so  arranged  that  in 
case  of  fire  it  can  be  instantly  removed  and  the  door  closed. 
The  light  structure  forming  this  porch  may  quickly  burn  down, 
leaving  the  kura  intact. 

Oftentimes  the  outside  of  the  kura  has  a board-casing  kept 
in  place  by  long  wooden  strips,  which  drop  into  staples  that 


164  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


are  firmly  attached  to  the  walls  of  the  kura.  These  hooks 
may  he  seen  in  fig.  57,  though  in  the  case  of  this  building 
the  wooden  casing  had  never  been  applied.  Casings  of  this 
nature  are  provide^.  the  better  to  preserve  the  walls  from 
the  action  of  the  weather. 

In  fig.  139  (see  page  162)  the  kura  had  been  originally 
built  some  fifteen  feet  from  the  main  house,  and  subsequently 
the  intervening  space  had  been  roofed  over  as  shown  in  the 
drawing. 


The  doors  of  the  kura  are  ponderous  structures,  and  are 
usually  left  open  for  ventilation ; a heavily  grated  sliding- 

door,  however,  closes  the  entrance  effect- 
ually when  the  thick  doors  are  left  open. 
Fig.  140  represents  the  doorway  of  an 
old  kura  in  Kioto  illustrating  these  fea- 


i es==3 

\= 

J V 

1 1 

o 

i © 

Fig.  142. — -Padlock  to  Kura. 


tures.  In  tig.  141  the  large  key  is  the 
one  belonging  to  the  inner  grated  door, 
while  fig.  142  shows  the  padlock  to  the 
outer  doors. 

The  upper  room  of  the  kura  is  often 
utilized  as  a store-room,  taking  the  place 
of  the  country  attic ; and  one  may  find  here  bundles  of  dried 
herbs,  corn,  an  old  spinning-wheel,  chests,  and  indeed  just  such 
objects  as  ultimately  find  a resting-place  in  our  attics  at  home. 

In  this  section  it  would  have  been  more  systematic  to  deal 
with  the  tokonoma  and  chigai-dana  separately ; hut  in  the 


Fig.  141.  — Ivey  to  Kura, 
and  Bunch  of  Iveys. 


CEILINGS. 


165 


description  of  interiors,  it  was  difficult  to  describe  them  without 
including  under  the  same  consideration  these  recesses,  as  they 
form  an  integral  part  of  the  principal  room. 

In  my  remarks  on  house-construction,  reference  was  made 
to  the  ceiling  and  the  way  in  which  it  is  made  and  held  in 
place,  the  form  of  ceiling  there  described  being  the  almost 
universal  one  throughout  the  country.  The  Japanese  word  for 
ceiling  is  ten-jo , — literally,  “heaven’s  well.” 

In  selecting  wood  for  the  ceiling,  great  care  is  taken  to 
secure  boards  in  which  the  grain  is  perfectly  even  and  regular, 
with  no  signs  of  knots.  A wood  much  prized  for  the  ceiling, 
as  well  as  for  other  interior  finish,  is  a kind  of  cedar  dug  up 
from  swamps  in  Hakone,  and  other  places  in  Japan.  It  is  of 
a rich,  warm  gray  or  brown  color ; and  oftentimes  planks  of 
enormous  thickness  are  secured  for  this  purpose.  This  wood  is 
called  Jin-dai-sugi,  meaning  “ cedar  of  God’s  age.”  A wood 
■called  hi-no-ki  is  often  used  for  ceilings. 

It  is  rare  to  see  a ceiling  differing  from  the  conventional 
form,  consisting  of  light,  thin,  square  strips  as  ceiling-beams, 
upon  which  rest  crosswise  thin  planks  of  wood  with  their 
edges  overlapping.  One  sees  this  form  of  ceiling  everywhere, 
from  north  to  south,  in  inns,  private  dwellings,  and  shops. 
This  form  is  as  universal  in  Japan  as  is  the  ordinary  white 
plaster-ceiling  with  us.  In  many  other  forms  of  ceiling,  how- 
ever, wood  of  the  most  tortuous  grain  is  preferred. 

In  the  little  houses  made  for  the  tea-parties  the  ceiling  is 
often  of  some  rustic  design,  — either  a layer  of  rush  resting  on 
bamboo  rafters,  or  thin,  wide  strips  of  wood  braided  or  matted 
like  basket-work. 

Sometimes  the  ceiling  instead  of  being  flat  is  arching ; that  is, 
the  sides  run  up  like  a roof,  and  meet  above  in  a flat  panel,  or 
the  ceiling  may  be  made  up  of  panels  either  square  or  angular. 


166  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

A very  elaborate  and  beautiful  ceiling  is  seen  in  fig.  127  (see 
page  146).  The  structure  is  supposed  to  be  in  imitation  of  a 
country  thatched  roof.  The  centre  panel  consists  of  a huge  plank 
of  cedar,  the  irregular  grain  cut  out  in  such  a way  as  to  show 
the  lines  in  higli-relief,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  very  old 
wood,  in  which  the  softer  lines  have  been  worn  away.  The 
round  sticks  which  form  the  frame  for  the  plank,  and  those 
bordering  the  ceiling,  as  well  as  those  running  from  the  cor- 
ners of  the  ceiling  to  the  corners  of  the  plank,  are  of  red 
pine  with  the  bark  unremoved.  The  radiating  rafters  are  of 
large  yellow  bamboo,  while  the  smaller  beams  running  par- 
allel to  the  sides  of  the  room 
consist  of  small  dark-brown  and 
polished  bamboo ; the  body  of 
the  ceiling  is  made  up  of  a brown 
rush,  called  hagi,  — this  repre- 
senting the  thatch.  This  ceiling 
was  simply  charming ; it  was 
clean,  pure,  and  effective  ; it  gave 
the  room  a lofty  appearance,, 
and  was  moreover  thoroughly 
constructive.  Our  architects 
might  well  imitate  it  without 
the  modification  of  a single  feature. 

The  ceiling  figured  on  page  156  (fig.  134)  consisted  of  square 
panels  of  cedar,  arranged  on  either  side  of  a double  curved  bam- 
boo, which  ran  across  the  ceiling  diagonally  from  one  corner  of 
the  room  to  another.  Upon  the  bamboo  was  engraved  a Chinese 
poem,  in  beautiful  characters.  The  beauty  of  this  ceiling  con- 
sisted not  only  in  its  general  quaint  effect,  but  in  the  rich 
woods  and  good  workmanship  everywhere  displayed  in  its  con- 
struction. The  same  might  be  said  of  the  ceiling  shown  in 
fig.  126  (see  page  145);  here,  indeed,  the  whole  room  was  like 


WALLS. 


167 


a choice  cabinet.  Lately,  these  panelled  ceilings  have  come  more 
into  use.  Fig.  143  represents  a form  of  ceiling  which  may  be 
occasionally  seen,  consisting  of  large,  square  planks  of  sugi, 
with  a framework  of  bamboo  or  keyaki  wood. 

It  seems  a little  curious  that  the  space  enclosed  under  the 
roof  (a  garret  in  fact)  is  rarely,  if  ever,  utilized.  Here  the 
rats  hold  high  carnival  at  night : and  one  finds  it  difficult  to 
sleep,  on  account  of  the  racket  these  pests  keep  up  in  racing 
and  fighting  upon  the  thin  and  resonant  boards  composing  the 
ceiling.  The  rats  make  a thoroughfare  of  the  beam  which  runs 
across  the  end  of  the  house  from  one  corner  to  the  other  ; and 
this  beam  is  called  the  nedzumi-bashira,  — literally,  “ rat-post.” 

In  my  remarks  on  house-construction  1 made  mention  of 
the  plaster  walls,  and  of  the  various  colored  sands  used  in 
the  plaster.  There  are  many  ways  of  treating  this  surface, 
by  which  curious  effects  are  obtained.  Little  gray  and  white 
pebbles  are  sometimes  mixed  with  the  plaster.  The  shells  of 
a little  fresh-water  bivalve  ( Corbicida ) are  pounded  into  frag- 
ments and  mixed  with  the  plaster.  In  the  province  of 
Mikawa  I saw  an  iron-gray  plaster,  in  which  had  been  mixed 
the  short  fibres  of  finely-chopped  hemp,  the  fibres  glistening 
in  the  plaster  ; the  effect  was  odd  and  striking.  In  the  province 
of  Omi  it  was  not  unusual  to  see  white  plastered  surfaces 
smoothly  finished,  in  which  iron-dust  had  been  blown  evenly 
upon  the  surface  while  the  plaster  was  yet  moist,  and,  oxidizing, 
had  given  a warm  brownish-yellow  tint  to  the  whole. 

In  papering  plaster-walls  rice-paste  is  not  used,  as  the  larvae 
of  certain  insects  are  liable  to  injure  the  surface.  In  lieu  of 
this  a kind  of  seaweed  similar  to  Iceland  moss  is  used,  the 
mucilaginous  portion  of  which  forms  the  cement.  This  material 
is  used  in  sizing  paper,  and  also  in  the  pasteboard  or  stiff  paper 
which  is  made  by  sticking  a number  of  sheets  together. 


168  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Plastered  rooms  are  often  papered  • and  even  when  the 
plaster  is  tinted  and  the  plastered  surface  is  left  exposed,  it 
is  customary  to  use  a paper  called  koshi-bari,  which  is  spread 
on  the  wall  to  a height  of  two  feet  or  more  in  order  to  pro- 
tect the  clothes  from  the  plaster.  This  treatment  is  seen  in 
common  rooms. 

Simple  and  unpretending  as  the  interior  of  a Japanese  house 
appears  to  be,  it  is  wonderful  upon  how  many  places  in  their 
apparently  naked  rooms  the  ingenuity  and  art-taste  of  the  cab- 
inet-maker can  be  expended.  Naturally,  the  variety  of  design 
and  finish  of  the  tokonoma  and  chigai-dana  is  unlimited  save 
by  the  size  of  their  areas  ; for  with  the  sills  and  upright  posts, 
the  shelves  and  little  closets,  sliding-doors  with  their  surfaces 
for  the  artists’  brush,  and  the  variety  of  woods  employed,  the 
artisan  has  a wide  field  in  which  to  display  his  peculiar  skill. 
The  ceiling,  though  showing  less  variet}^  in  its  structure,  never- 
theless presents  a good  field  for  decorative  work,  though  any 
exploits  in  this  direction  outside  the  conventional  form  become 
very  costly,  on  account  of  the  large  surface  to  deal  with  and 
the  expensive  cabinet-work  required.  Next  to  the  chigai-danci 
in  decorative  importance  (excepting  of  course  the  ceiling,  which, 
as  we  have  already  seen,  rarely  departs  from  the  almost  uni- 
versal character  of  thin  boards  and  transverse  strips),  I am 
inclined  to  believe  that  the  ramma  receives  the  most  attention 
from  the  designer,  and  requires  more  delicate  work  from  the 
cabinet-maker.  It  is  true  that  the  areas  to  cover  are  small, 
yet  the  designs  which  may  be  carved  or  latticed,  — geometric 
designs  in  fret-work,  or  perforated  designs  in  panel,  — must 
have  a strength  and  prominence  not  shown  in  the  other  interior 
finishings  of  the  room. 

The  kamoi,  or  lintel,  as  we  have  seen,  is  a beam  that  runs 
entirely  across  the  side  of  the  room  at  the  height  of  nearly 


RAMMA. 


169 


six  feet  from  the  floor  (fig.  103).  On  its  under  surface  are 
the  grooves  in  which  the  fusmna  run  ; between  this  beam  and 
the  ceiling  is  a space  of  two  feet  or  more  depending,  of  course, 
upon  the  height  of  the  room.  The  height  of  the  beam  itself 
from  the  floor,  a nearly  constant  factor,  is  always  lower  than  are 
our  doorways,  because  the  average  height  of  the  Japanese  people 
is  less  than  ours  ; and  aggravatingly  low  to  many  foreigners  is 
this  beam,  as  can  he  attested  by  those  who  have  cracked  their 
heads  against  it  in  passing  from  one  room  to  another.  The  space 
between  the  Tcamoi  and  the  ceiling  is  called  the  rcimmci,  and  offers 
another  field  for  the  exercise  of  that  decorative  faculty  which 
comes  so  naturally  to  the  Japanese.  This  space  may  be  occupied 
simply  by  a closed 


plastered  partition, 
just  as  in  our  houses 
we  invariably  fill  up 
a similar  space  which 
conies  over  wide  fold- 
ing doors  between  a 
suite  of  rooms.  In 
the  Japanese  room, 
however,  it  is  cus- 
tomary to  divide  this 
space  into  two  or 
more  panels,  — usually  two ; and  in  this  area  the  designer  and 
wood-worker  have  ample  room  to  carry  out  those  charming 
surprises  which  are  to  be  seen  in  Japanese  interiors. 

The  designs  are  of  course  innumerable,  and  may  consist 
of  diaper-work  and  geometric  designs ; or  each  panel  may  con- 
sist of  a single  plank  of  wood  with  the  design  wrought  out, 
while  the  remaining  wood  is  cut  away,  leaving  the  dark  shadows 
of  the  room  beyond  as  a back-ground  to  the  design ; or  the  design 
may  be  in  the  form  of  a thin  panel  of  cedar,  in  which  patterns 


Fig.  144.  — Raima  in  Hakone  Village. 


170  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS 


of  birds,  flowers,  waves,  dragons,  or  other  objects  are  cut  out 
in  perforated  work.  Fret-work  panels  are  very  often  used  in 
the  decoration  of  the  ramma,  of  designs  similar  to  the  panels 
now  imported  from  Japan  ; but  the  figures  are  worked  out  in 
larger  patterns. 


Light  and  airy  as  the  work  seems  to  be,  it  must  nevertheless 
be  strongly  made,  as  it  is  rare  to  see  any  displaced  or  broken 
portions  in  panels  of  this  nature. 

The  design  represented  in  fig.  144  is  from  a ramma  in  an 
old  house  in  the  village  of  Hakone.  The  room  was  very  large, 
and  there  were  four  panels  in  the  ramma , which  was  nearly 
twenty-four  feet  long.  A light  trellis  of  bamboo  is  a favorite 
and  common  device  for  this  area.  Fig.  145  gives  a simple 

form  of  this  nature, 
which  may  be  often 
seen.  In  a house  in 
Tokio  we  saw  a sim- 
ilar design  carried 
out  in  porcelain  (fig. 

Fig.  146. — Porcelain  Ramma  in  Tokio.  the  Cential 

vertical  rod  having 

a dark-blue  glaze,  while  the  lighter  horizontal  rods  were  white  in 
color.  It  should  be  understood  that  in  every  case  the  inter- 
spaces between  the  designs,  except  in  the  perforated  ones,  are 
freely  open  to  the  next  room.  By  means  of  these  open  ramma 
much  better  ventilation  of  the  rooms  is  secured  when  the  fusicma 


y — 

L ^ 

. [ 

r 

T7~  t 

r 

RAMMA. 


171 


is  closed.  A combination  of  perforated  panels  and  a grating  of 
bamboo  is  often  seen  (fig.  147). 

The  ramma  requiring  great  skill  in  design  and  execution 
are  those  in  which  the  wood-carver,  having  his  design  drawn 
upon  a solid  plank,  cuts  away  all  the  wood  about  it,  leaving 
the  design  free ; and  this  is  then  delicately  wrought. 

In  an  old  house  at  Gojio,  Yamato,  is  a ramma  having  a 
single  panel  the  length  of  the  room.  Fig.  148  illustrates  this 


Fig.  147-  — Ramma  of  Bamboo  and  Perforated  Panel. 


design,  which  consists  of  chrysanthemums  supported  on  a bamboo 
trellis,  and  was  carved  out  of  a single  plank,  the  flowers  and 
delicate  tracery  of  the  leaves  being  wrought  with  equal  care 
on  both  sides  ; in  fact,  the  ramma  in  every  case  is  designed 
to  he  seen  from  both  rooms.  I have  often  noticed  that  in 
quite  old  houses  the  ramma  was  of  this  description.  In  an 
old  house  at  Yatsusliiro,  in  Higo,  I saw  a very  beautiful  form 
of  this  nature  (fig.  149).  The  ramma  was  divided  into  two 
panels,  and  the  design  was  continuous  from  one  panel  to  the  other. 
It  represented  a rustic  method  of  conducting  water  by  means 
of  wooden  troughs,  propped  up  by  branched  sticks,  and  sticks 
tied  together.  The  representation  of  long  leaves  of  some  aquatic 
plant,  with  their  edges  ragged  by  partial  decay,  was  remarkably 
well  rendered.  The  plank  out  of  which  the  design  was  wrought 
must  have  been  less  than  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  yet  the 
effect  of  relief  was  surprising.  A white  substance  like  chalk 
filled  the  interstices  of  the  carving,  giving  the  appearance  that 
at  one  time  the  whole  design  had  been  whitened  and  the  coloring 


172  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


matter  had  subsequently  worn  away.  The  house  was  quite  old, 
and  the  work  had  been  done  by  a local  artist. 

It  is  a remarkable  fact,  and  one  well  worth  calling  attention 
to,  that  in  the  smaller  towns  and  villages,  in  regions  far  apart, 
there  seem  to  be  artistic  workmen  capable  of  designing  and 
executing  these  graceful  and  artistic  carvings,  — for  such  they 
certainly  are.  Everywhere  throughout  the  Empire  we  find 
good  work  of  all  kinds,  and  evidence  that  workmen  of  all 
crafts  have  learned  their  trades, — not  “served”  them,  — and 
are  employed  at  home.  In  other  words,  the  people  everywhere 
appreciate  artistic  designs  and  the  proper  execution  of  them ; 
and,  consequently,  men  capable  in  their  various  lines  find  their 
services  in  demand  wherever  they  may  be.  I do  not  mean 
to  imply  by  this  general  statement  that  good  workmen  in 
Japan  are  not  drawn  to  the  larger  cities  for  employment,  but 
rather  that  the  smaller  towns  and  villages  everywhere  are  not 
destitute  of  such  a class,  and  that  the  distribution  of  such 
artisans  is  far  more  wide  and  general  than  with  us.  And 
how  different  such  conditions  are  with  us  may  be  seen  in  the 
fact  that  there  are  hundreds  of  towns  and  thousands  of  villages 
in  our  country  where  the  carpenter  is  just  capable  of  making  a 
shelter  from  the  weather  ; and  if  he  attempts  to  beautify  it  — 
but  we  will  not  awaken  the  recollection  of  those  startling;  hor- 
rors  of  petticoat  scallops  fringing  the  eaves  and  every  opening, 
and  rendered,  if  possible,  more  hideous  by  the  painter. 

Throughout  the  breadth  and  length  of  that  land  of  thirty-six 
million  people  men  capable  of  artistic  work,  and  people  capable 
of  appreciating  such  work,  abound.  In  our  land  of  fifty-five 
millions  one  has  to  seek  the  great  centres  of  population  for 
similar  work,  — for  elsewhere  the  good  work  and  its  appreciation 
are  exceptional. 

At  Nagoya,  in  the  house  of  a poor  man,  I saw  a simple 
and  ingenious  form  of  ramma,  in  which  two  thin  boards,  one 


Fig.  149.  — Carved-wood  Ramma  in  Town  of  Yatsushiro,  Higo. 


ramma. 


ITS 


174  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

of  light  and  the  other  of  dark  cedar,  had  been  cut  in  the 
form  of  mountain  contours.  These  were  placed  in  juxtaposition 
and  from  either  side  the  appearance  of  two  ranges  of  mountains 
was  conveyed.  Fig.  150  gives  a faint  idea  of  the  appearance 
of  this  simple  ramma.  There  are  many  suggestions  in  the  dec- 
oration and  utilization  for  ventilating  rooms  through  certain 
portions  of  the  frieze,  which  might  be  adopted  with  advantage 
in  the  finish  of  our  interiors. 


Fig.  150.  — Ramma,  composed  of  two  Thin  Boards,  in  Nagoya,  Owari. 


As  the  room,  when  closed,  receives  its  light  through  the  shoji, 
the  windows  proper  — that  is,  certain  openings  in  permanent 
partitions  which  may  be  regarded  as  windows  — have  in  most 
•cases  lost  their  functional  character,  and  have  become  modified 
into  ornamental  features  merely,  many  of  them  being  strictly 
decorative,  having  none  of  the  functions  of  a window  whatever. 
These  openings  assume  an  infinite  variety  of  forms,  and  appear 
in  the  most  surprising  places  in  the  room.  They  may  be  placed 
low  down  near  the  floor,  or  close  to  the  ceiling;  indeed,  they  oc- 
cur between  the  rooms  when  permanent  partitions  are  present, 
and  similar  openings  may  be  seen  in  the  partition  which  separates 
the  tokonoma  from  the  chigai-dana.  A window  often  occurs  in  a 
partition  that  continues  some  little  distance  beyond  the  outer 
edge  of  the  tokonoma.  This  window  is  usually  square,  and  is 
closed  by  a shoji.  The  upper  cross-piece  of  the  slioji-imme 
projects  at  each  end,  so  that  it  may  be  hung  in  place  on  iron 
hooks  (fig.  151).  If  the  window  conies  near  the  tokonoma  the 


WINDOWS. 


175 


Fig.  151.  — Siioji  for  Window. 


shoji  is  hung  on  the  outside  of  the  room,  as  its  appearance  in  this 
way  is  better  from  within.  If  it  occurs  in  a partition  near  the 
chodzu-bachi,  the  shoji  is  hung  in- 
side the  room.  Sometimes  the 
shoji  rests  on  grooved  cleats  or 
bars,  which  are  fastened  above 
and  below  the  window,  and  often- 
times it  runs  inside  the  partition, 

— that  is,  in  a partition  that  is 
double.  The  shoji  in  this  case  is 
often  made  in  two  portions,  and 
parts  to  the  right  or  left.  The 
frame-work  of  the  shoji  forming 

the  windows  is  often  a marvel  of  exquisite  taste.  The  designs 
.are  often  geometric  figures,  as  in  fig.  152  ; though  other  designs 

are  seen,  as  in  fig.  153,  rep- 
resenting a mountain.  These 
designs,  being  made  of  very 
thin  strips  of  white  pine,  it 
would  seem  that  in  such 
examples  portions  of  the 
frame-work  must  have  been 
fastened  to  the  paper  to  keep  them  in  place,  for  there  are  no  means 
of  sustaining  such  a frame  in  position  without  some  such  method. 

At  Nagoya,  in  an  old  house,  I saw  a remarkable  partition  of 
dark  cedar,  in  which  a circular  window,  five  feet  in  diameter, 
was  occupied  by  a panel  of  thin  cedar,  in  which  was  a perforated 
design  of  waves ; the  drawing  was  of  the  most  graceful  descrip- 
tion. The  curious,  formal,  curled  tongues  of  water,  like  young 
sprouting  ferns,  the  long  graceful  sweep  of  the  waves,  and  the 
circular  drops  suspended  above  the  breaking  crests  presented  a 
charming  effect,  as  the  light  coming  through  from  the  outside 
illuminated  these  various  openings. 


Fig.  152.  — Shoji-frame  for  Window. 


176  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Fig.  153.  — Shoji-frame  for  Window. 


When  these  windows  occur  in  the  second  story  they  are  ar- 
ranged to  overlook  some  pleasant  garden  or  distant  landscape ; 

for  this  purpose  the  window  is 
usually  circular,  though  it  may 
he  in  the  shape  of  the  crescent 
moon,  or  fan -shaped;  indeed,, 
there  seems  to  be  no  end  to 
designs  for  these  apertures. 
Openings  of  this  nature  between 
rooms  may  or  may  not  have  shoji,  but  they  always  have  a 
lattice-work  of  bamboo,  or  some  other  material,  arranged  in 
certain  ornamental  ways.  The  outside  windows  not  only  have 
the  shoji,  but  may 
have  an  ornamental 
lattice- work  as  well. 

In  fig.  121  the  large 
circular  window  next 
the  tokonoma  had  a 
lattice- work  of  bam- 
boo arranged  in  an 
exceedingly  graceful 
design. 

Great  attention  is 
devoted  to  the  win- 
dow which  comes  in 
the  recess  used  for 
writing  purposes. 

The  frame  of  this 
window  m ay  be 
lacquered,  and  the 
lattice-work  and  shoji 

are  often  marvels  of  the  cabinet-maker’s  art.  Windows  of  curi- 
ous construction  are  often  placed  in  some  passage-way  or  space 


Fig.  15F  — Window. 


PORTABLE  SCREENS. 


17? 


at  the  end  of  the  verandah  leading  to  the  lavatory,  when  one 
exists.  The  accompanying  figure  (fig.  154)  shows  a window  of 
this  nature,  seen  from  the  outside ; the  bars  were  of  iron,  and 
below  the  opening  the  wood-finish  consisted  of  alternate  panels 
of  cedar-bark  and  light  wood. 

There  are  hundreds  of  forms  of  these  windows,  or  mciclo,  as 
they  are  called.  The  few  to  which  allusion  has  been  made  serve 
to  give  one  some  idea  of  the  almost  entirely  ornamental  character 
of  these  openings.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  each  form  has  its 
appropriate  name,  and  books  are  specially  prepared,  giving  many 
designs  of  windows  and  their  modes  of  construction. 

In  the  chapter  on  Gardens  a few  descriptions  and  sketches  are 
given  of  other  forms  of  windows  belonging  to  summer-houses. 

The  open  character  of  the  Japanese  house  has  caused  the 
development  of  a variety  of  forms  of  portable  screens,  bam- 
boo shades,  curtains,  and  the  like,  upon  which  much  ingenuity 
of  construction  and  an  infinite  amount  of  artistic  talent  have 
been  expended.  The  biyo-bu,  or  folding  screens,  are  too  well 
known  to  require  more  than  a passing  allusion.  These  consist 
of  a number  of  panels  or  folds  covered  on  both  sides  with 
stout  paper.  A narrow  border  of  wood  forms  an  outer  frame, 
and  this  may  be  plain  or  lacquered.  The  end  folds  have  the 
corners  as  well  as  other  portions  of  its  frame  decorated  with 
wrought  metal  pieces.  Just  within  the  frame  runs  a border 
of  brocade  of  varying  width,  and  on  its  inner  edge  a narrow 
strip  of  brocade ; within  this  comes  the  panel  or  portion  to 
receive  the  artist’s  efforts.  Each  fold  or  panel  may  have  a 
separate  picture  upon  it ; or,  as  is  most  usually  the  case,  a 
continuous  landscape  or  composition  covers  the  entire  side  of 
the  screen.  Many  of  the  great  artists  of  Japan  have  em- 
bodied some  of  their  best  works  on  screens  of  this  kind,  and 
the  prices  at  which  some  of  these  are  held  are  fabulous. 

12 


178  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


The  rich  and  heavily-gilded  screens  now  so  rare  to  obtain  are 
marvels  of  decorative  painting.  While  the  front  of  the  screen 
may  have  a broad  landscape,  the  hack  may  he  simply  a plain  gold 
surface,  or  have  some  sketchy  touches  of  bamboo,  pine,  etc.,  in 


black.  I have  been  told  that  the  gold-leaf  was  so  thick  on  many 
of  the  old  screens,  that  the  sacrilege  has  often  been  committed 
of  destroying  them  for  the  gold  contained  on  their  surfaces. 

The  six-panelled  gold-screen  is,  beyond  all  question,  the 
richest  object  of  household  use  for  decorative  purposes  ever 
devised.  There  certainly  is  no  other  device  in  which  so  many 
decorative  arts  are  called  into  play.  The  rich  lacquered  frame. 


PORTABLE  SCREENS. 


179 


the  wrought  metallic  mountings,  the  border  of  gold  brocade, 
and  the  great  expanse  for  the  artist’s  brush  (for  when  both 
sides  of  a six-fold  screen  is  decorated,  an  area  is  obtained 
nearly  five  feet  in  height  and  twenty-four  feet  in  length) 
give  great  variety  for  richness  of  adornment.  The  rich,  dead 
gold-leaf  with  which  it  is  gilded  softens  the  reflections,  and 
gives  a warm,  radiant  tone  to  the  light.  Its  adjustable  nature 
permits  it  to  display  its  painting 
in  every  light.  We  refer  now, 
course,  to  the  genuine  old  gc 
screens  which  came  in  sets  of  0 

*1 

One  possessing  a set  of  these  screens  may  5 .Ww 

consider  himself  particularly  fortunate.  The  %,  \7 

one  figured  (fig.  155)  has  depicted  upon  it  a win-  . « 

ter  scene  painted  by  Kano  Tsunenobu,  and  is  = ’ 

nearly  one  hundred  and  seventy  years  old ; the  , ; 

companion  of  this  has  represented  upon  it  a sum- 

mer  scene,  by  the  same  artist.  On  the  reverse 

sides  are  painted  with  bright  and  vigorous  touches 

the  bamboo  and  pine.  Fig.  156  shows  one  corner 

of  the  screen-frame  with  its  metal  mounting.  These 

screens  may  have  two  folds,  or  three,  or  even  six, 

as  in  this  case.  A set  of  screens  when  not  in  use 

are  enclosed  in  silk  bags,  and  then  placed  in  a wrought  me- 

long,  narrow  wooden  box  (fig.  157).  This  box,  like  tallic  mount- 

. i ing  of  Screen 

other  articles  ot  household  use,  such  as  bureaus  and  Frame_ 
chests  of  drawers,  has  long  hanging  iron  handles, 
which  when  turned  upwards  project  above  the  level  of  the 
top,  forming  convenient  loops  through  which  a stick  may  be 
passed,  — and  thus  in  case  of  fire  may  be  easily  transported  upon 
the  shoulders  of  men. 

When  the  screen  is  unfolded  and  placed  on  the  floor, 
various  devices  are  provided  to  prevent  the  end  panels  being 


180  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


swayed  by  the  wind.  These  devices  may  be  in  the  shape  of 
some  metal  figure  which  acts  as  a check,  or  a heavy  weight 
of  pottery  made  in  the  shape  shown  in  fig.  158,  the  end  of  the 
screen  fitting  into  the  slot  in  the  weight. 


Fig.  157.  — Screen-box. 


On  certain  festival  days,  it  is  customary  for  the  people 
bordering  the  wider  thoroughfares  to  throw  open  their  houses 
and  display  their  screens ; and  in  Kioto,  at  such  times,  one  may 

walk  along  the  streets  and  be- 
hold a wonderful  exhibition  of 
these  beautiful  objects. 

A screen  peculiar  to  Kioto, 
and  probably  farther  south,  is 
seen,  in  which  panels  of  rush 
Fig.  158.  — Foot-weight  for  Screen,  ‘ind  bamboo  Split  ill  delicate  bars 

are  inserted  in  each  leaf  of  the 
screen.  Such  a screen  when  spread  admits  a certain  amount 
of  light  as  well  as  air,  and  may  be  used  in  summer. 

A low  screen  of  two  folds,  called  a furosaki  biyo-bu  is  placed 


PORTABLE  SCREENS. 


181 


in  front  of  the  furo,  or  fire-vessel,  used  for  boiling  water  for 
tea.  The  purpose  of  this  is  to  screen  the  furo  from  the  wind 
and  prevent  the  ashes  from  being  blown  about  the  room. 
Sometimes  these  screens 


here  figured  (fig.  159)  ; there  are  many  designs  for  this  kind 
of  screen. 

In  the  old-fashioned  genka,  or  hall-way,  there  stands  a solid 
screen  of  wood  with  heavy  frame,  supported  by  two  transverse 
feet.  This  screen  is  called  a tsui-tate,  and  is  an  article  of 


Fig.  160.  — Model  of  Tsui-tate  in  Pottery. 

are  made  in  pottery  or  porce- 
lain, and  these  are  for  the  purpose  of  standing  in  front  of  the 
ink-stone  to  prevent  the  mats  from  being  spattered  when  the  ink 
is  rubbed.  In  another  form  of  tsui-tate  a stand  is  made  having 
uprights  placed  in  such  a way  that  a screen  covered  with  stout 
paper  or  a panel  may  be  placed  upon  the  stand  and  held  in  a 
vertical  position  by  these  uprights,  as  shown  in  fig.  161. 


are  made  in  a rigid  form 
of  wood,  with  the  wings 
at  right  angles,  the  panels 
being  of  rush ; and  in  the 
corner  of  the  screen  a lit- 
tle shelf  is  fixed,  upon 
which  the  tea-utensils  may 
be  placed.  Such  an  one  is 


Pig.  159.  — Furosaki  Biyo-bu. 


furniture  belonging  to  the 
hall.  It  is  often  richly  dec- 
orated with  gold  lacquer,  and 
is  usually  much  lower  in 
height  than  the  ordinary 
screen.  In  old  Japanese  pic- 
ture-books this  form  is  often 
represented.  Diminutive  mo- 
dels of  the  tsui-tate  (fig.  160) 


182  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


W hen  the  shoji  are  removed,  and  the  room  thrown  wide 
open  to  the  light  and  air,  curtains  composed  of  strips  of  bam- 
boo or  rush  are  used  as  sun-screens ; these  are  generally  hung 
up  just  below  the  edge  of  the  supplementary  roof  or  hisashi, 
or  may  be  suspended  just  outside  the  room.  They  can  be 
rolled  up  and  tied,  or  dropped  to  any  desired  length.  These 


Fig.  161.  — Tsui-tate. 


fit 


W 


Fig.  162.  — Bamboo  Cuetains. 


curtains  may  be  either  plain  or  have  traced  upon  them  delicate 
designs  of  vines  or  gourds,  or  conventional  patterns.  These 
designs  are  produced  either  by  the  joints  on  the  bamboo  being 
adjusted  to  carry  out  a zigzag  or  other  design,  as  shown  in 
fig.  162  (A),  or  else  the  thin  strips  of  bamboo  may  have  square 
notches  cut  out  from  their  lower  edges  as  in  fig.  162  (B).  In 
this  case  the  shade  of  the  room  within  gives  the  necessary 
back-ground  to  bring  out  the  design  as  shown  in  fig.  163. 
These  devices  are  called  noren ; if  made  of  bamboo,  they  are 
called  sudare. 

In  illustrated  books  there  is  often  seen  figured  a screen 
such  as  is  shown  in  fig.  164.  This  consists  of  a lacquered 
stand,  from  which  spring  two  upright  rods,  which  in  turn  sup- 


PORTABLE  SCREENS. 


183 


port  a transverse  bar  not  unlike  some  forms  of  towel-racks  ; 
dependent  from  this  is  a curtain  of  cloth,  which  is  long  enough 
to  sweep  the  floor.  I have  never  seen  this  object,  though  it 

is  probably  in  use  in  the  houses  of 


Fig.  163.  — Bamboo  Curtain.  Fig.  164. — Curtain-screen. 


fr 


*¥♦¥*** 


A screen  or  curtain  is  often  seen  in  doorways  and  passage- 
ways, consisting  of  a fringe  of  cords,  upon 
which  have  been  strung  like  beads  short  sec- 
tions of  bamboo,  with  black  seeds  at  inter- 
vals. A portion  of  one  of  these  fringed 
curtains  is  illustrated  in  fig.  165.  Such  a 
curtain  has  the  advantage  not  only  of  being 
a good  screen,  but  the  inmates  may  pass 
through  it,  so  to  speak,  without  the  necessity 
of  lifting  it.  There  are  many  forms  of  this 
curtain  to  be  seen,  and  at  present  the  Jap- 
anese are  exporting  a variety  of  delicate  ones 
made  of  glass  beads  and  sections  of  rushes. 

Cloth  curtains  are  used  at  the  entrance  to 
the  kitchen,  and  also  to  screen  closet-like  re- 
Curtain.  cesses.  The  cloth  is  cut  at  intervals,  leaving 


184  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


a series  of  long  flaps.  This  curtain  is  not  readily  swayed  by 
the  wind,  and  can  easily  be  passed  through  as  one  enters  the 
room  (fig.  166).  In  front  of  the  Japanese  shop  one  may  see 

a similar  form  of  curtain  slit  at  intervals,  so  that  it  may  not 
be  affected  by  ordinary  winds. 

There  are  doubtless  many  other  forms  of  screens  and  curtains 
not  here  enumerated,  but  most  of  those  described  present  the 
common  forms  usually  observed. 


Fig.  166.  — Slashed  Curtain. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


INTERIORS  ( Continued ). 

Kitchen.  — Floors.  — Closets.  — Stairways.  — Public  Bathing.  — Bathing  Con- 
veniences. — Towel-racks.  — Bedding  and  Pillows.  — Hibachi  and  Tabako-bon. 
— Candles  and  Candlesticks.  — Lamps  and  Lanterns.  — Household  Shrines.— 
Birds’  Nests  in  Houses.  — Privies. 


^pHE  kitchen,  as  an  apartment,  varies  quite  as  much  in  Japan 
as  it  does  in  our  country,  and  varies  in  the  same  way ; 
that  is  to  say,  in  the  country,  in  houses  of  the  better  class, 
both  in  Japan  and  the  United  States,  the  kitchen  is  large  and 
oftentimes  spacious,  well  lighted  and  airy,  in  which  not  only 
the  preparation  of  food  and  the  washing  of  dishes  go  on,  hut 
in  which  also  the  meals  are  served.  The  kitchen  of  the  common 
city  house  in  both  countries  is  oftentimes  a dark  narrow  room, 
ill-lighted,  and  altogether  devoid  of  comfort  for  the  cook.  Amoim 
this  class  of  houses  the  kitchen  is  the  least  defined  of  Japanese 
rooms ; it  lacks  that  tidiness  and  definition  so  characteristic  of 
the  other  rooms.  It  is  often  a narrow  porch  or  shed  with  pent 
roof,  rarely,  if  ever,  possessing  a ceiling  ; its  exposed  raft- 
ers are  blackened  by  the  smoke,  which  finds  egress  through  a 
scuttle,  through  which  often  comes  the  only  light  that  illumi- 
nates the  dim  interior.  In  the  city  house  the  kitchen  often 
comes  on  that  side  of  the  house  next  the  street,  for  the  reason 
that  the  garden  being  in  the  rear  of  the  house  the  best  rooms 
face  that  area ; being  on  the  street  too,  the  kitchen  is  conveni- 
ent for  the  vender  of  fish  and  vegetables,  and  for  all  the  kitchen 
traffic,  which  too  often  with  us  results  in  the  strewing  of  our 


186  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


little  grass-plots  with  the  wrapping  paper  of  the  butcher’s  bun- 
dles and  other  pleasing  reminiscences  of  the  day’s  dinner.  In  the 
country  the  kitchen  is  generally  at  the  end  of  the  house  usually 
opening  into  some  porch-like  expansion,  where  the  tubs,  buckets, 
etc.,  and  the  winter’s  supply  of  wood  finds  convenient  storage. 


Fig.  167.  — Kitchen  in  old  Farmhouse  at  Kabutoyama. 


In  public  inns  and  large  country  houses,  and  also  in  many 
of  the  larger  city  tea-houses,  the  customary  raised  floor  is  divided 
by  a narrow  area,  which  has  for  its  floor  the  hard  trodden  earth ; 
and  this  area  forms  an  avenue  from  the  road  to  the  heart  of 
the  house,  and  even  through  the  house  to  the  garden  beyond. 
This  enables  one  to  pass  to  the  centre  of  the  house  without 
the  necessity  of  removing  one’s  shoes.  Porters  and  servants 
bring  the  guest’s  baggage  and  deposit  it  directly  upon  the  mats ; 


KITCHEN. 


187 


and  in  the  inns  more  privacy  is  secured  by  the  kcujo  being 
brought  to  the  centre  of  the  house,  where  the  visitor  may  alight 
at  the  threshold  of  the  very  room  he  is  to  occupy.  A plank  or 
other  adjustable  platform  is  used  to  bridge  this  avenue,  so  that 
occupants  may  go  from  one  portion  of  the  house  to  another  in 
their  bare  or  stockinged  feet. 

If  this  area  is  in  a public  inn,  the  office,  common  room,  and 
kitchen  border  one  side  of  this  thoroughfare.  In  the  common 
room  the  baby-tend- 


Fig.  168.  — Kitchen  Range. 


ing,  sewing,  and  the 
various  duties  of  the 
family  go  on  under 
the  heavily-raftered 
and  thatched  roof, 
which  blackened  by 
the  smoke  from  the 
kitchen  fire,  and  fes- 
tooned with  equally 
blackened  cobwebs, 
presents  a weird  ap- 
pearance when  lighted  up  by  the  ruddy  glow  from  the  hearth. 
W e speak  now  of  the  northern  country  houses,  particularly  where 
the  fireplace,  as  in.  the  Aino  house,  is  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor.  In  country  houses  of  the  better  class  the  kitchen  is  large 
and  roomy ; the  well  is  always  conveniently  near,  and  often 
under  the  same  roof.  An  enormous  quantity  of  water  is  used 
in  the  kitchen  of  a Japanese  house ; and  if  the  well  is  outside, 
then  a trough  is  arranged  beside  the  well,  into  which  the  water 
is  poured,  and  from  this  trough  a bamboo  spout  conveys  the 
water  into  a big  water-tank  within  the  kitchen.  In  the  vicinity 
of  the  well  it  is  always  wet  and  sloppy  ; the  vegetables,  rice, 
dishes,  and  nearly  every  utensil  and  article  of  food  seem  to 
come  under  this  deluge  of  water. 


188  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

Fig.  1GT  (page  186)  gives  a sketch  of  an  old  kitchen  at 
Kabutoyama  in  the  western  part  of  the  province  of  Musashi. 
This  kitchen  is  nearly  three  hundred  years  old,  and  is  the  type 
of  a kitchen  of  a wealthy  and  independent  Japanese  farmer. 
The  great  wooden  curbed  well  is  seen  in  front,  with  a pulley 
above  in  which  the  rope  runs.  Near  by  is  a trough  from  which 
a bamboo  spout  leads  to  some  trough  in  another  portion  of  the 
house.  The  kamado,  or  cooking- range,  is  seen  to  the  left,  and 
beyond  is  a room  partly  closed  by  fusuma.  Directly  beyond 
the  well  two  girls  may  be  seen  in  the  act  of  preparing  dinner, 
which  consists  in  arranging  the  dishes  on  little  raised  lacquered 
trays,  which  are  to  be  carried  in  when  dinner  is  ready.  Near 
the  range  are  little  portable  affairs  made  of  soft  stone  and 
used  as  braziers.  The  raised  floor  is  composed  of  broad  planks  ; 
kitchens  invariably  have  wooden  floors,  which  are  oftentimes  very 
smooth  and  polished. 

The  usual  form  of  kitchen  range  is  represented  in  fig.  168 ; 
this  is  made  of  broken  tiles  and  mud  or  clay  compacted  together 
and  neatly  plastered  and  blackened  on  the  outside.  In  this 
range  there  are  two  recesses  for  fire,  which  open  directly  in 
front ; and  this  structure  rests  upon  a stout  wooden  frame  having 
a place  for  ashes  in  front,  and  a space  beneath  in  which  the 
wood  and  charcoal  are  kept.  Sometimes  this  range,  retaining 
the  same  form,  is  made  of  copper ; within  this  water  is  kept,  and 
little  openings  permit  the  wine-bottle  to  be  immersed  in  order 
to  heat  it,  as  the  sake  is  drunk  hot  without  the  admixture  of 
hot  water. 

In  another  kitchen  in  a house  in  Imado,  Tokio,  a hood  of 
sheet-iron  was  arranged  to  convey  the  smoke  outside  the  build- 
ing. This  is  probably  a modern  device  (fig.  169). 

In  fig.  170  a sketch  is  given  of  a kitchen  in  Tokio  in  which 
the  range  was  a closed  affair  made  of  stone,  with  a funnel  at  the 
end  as  in  our  stoves.  I was  told  by  the  owner  of  this  house  that 


KITCHEN. 


18» 


Fig.  169. — Kitchen  Range,  with  Smoke- 


conductor. 


this  kind  of  a stove  had  been  in  use  in  his  family  for  three 
generations,  at  least.  In  this  kitchen  an  area  level  with  the 


190  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


ground  is  seen,  in  which  stands  the  sink  containing  an  inverted 
rice-kettle.  Beside  the  sink  stands  a huge  water-jar,  with  water- 
bucket  and  water-dipper  conveniently  near ; above  is  a shelf  upon 
which  are  numerous  buckets  and  tubs.  On  one  of  the  posts  hangs 
the  usual  bamboo  rack  for  skewers,  wooden  spoons,  spatulas,  etc., 
■and  below  it  is  a case  for  the  meat  and  fish  knives.  On  a bam- 


t’lG.  170.  — Kitchen  in  City  House. 


boo  pole  a few  towels  hang,  and  also  two  large  fishes’  heads  from 
which  a thin  soup  is  to  be  made.  On  a post  near  the  mouth 
of  the  stove  hangs  a coarse  wire  sieve  with  which  to  sift  the 
ashes  for  the  little  bits  of  unburnt  charcoal,  which  are  always 
frugally  saved,  and  near  by  is  a covered  vessel  to  hold  these  cin- 
ders. The  customary  stone  brazier  for  heating  water  for  the  tea 
stands  near  the  stove. 


KITCHEN. 


191 


Fig.  171  represents  more  clearly  the  form  of  this  brazier,  which 
is  called  a shichirin.  It  is  a convenient  and  economical  device 
for  the  cooking  of  small  messes  or  for  boiling  water,  charcoal 
being  used  for  the  purpose.  Instead  of  bellows,  a fan  is  used  for 
kindling  or  quickening  a fire.  A short  bamboo  tube  is  also  used 
through  which  the  cook’s  lungs  act  as  a bellows  in  performing 
a like  service. 

Fig.  172  gives  a 
clearer  view  of  the 
bamboo  rack  and  the 
knife-case  below, 
with  which  almost 
every  kitchen  is  sup- 
plied. Often  in  pub- 
lic inns  the  kitchen 
opens  on  the  street, 
where  the  cook  may 
be  seen  conspicuous- 
l}7  at  work.  In  our 
country  the  chop- 
houses  oftentimes 
have  the  grilling  and 
stewing  ostentatious- 
ly displayed  in  the 
same  way,  as  an  ap- 
petizing inducement 
to  attract  guests. 

Fig.  171  gives  a 
view  of  a common  arrangement  for  the  kitchen  in  the  north 
of  Japan,  and  in  the  country  everywhere.  Here  the  fireplace 
is  in  the  centre  of  the  room.  A kettle  is  suspended  over  the 
fire  by  a chain,  and  other  kettles  are  huddled  around  it  to  be 
heated.  Overhead  a rack  hangs,  from  which  fish  and  meat 


192  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


are  suspended,  and  thus  the  smoke  which  ascends  from  the 
fire  is  utilized  in  curing  them.  Sometimes  a large  cushion  of 
straw  is  suspended  above  the  smoke,  and  little  fish  skewered 
with  pointed  sticks  are  thrust  into  this  bunch  of  straw  like 
pins  in  a pin-cushion. 


In  fig.  175  a more  elab- 
orate affair  is  shown  from 
which  to  suspend  the  tea- 
kettle. This  is  a complex 
mechanism  with  a curious 
joint,  so  that  it  may  be 
hoisted  or  lowered  at 
will. 

In  the  hut  of  the  peasant 
a simple  affair  is  seen  (fig. 
173)  made  out  of  bamboo, 
which  answers  the  same 
purpose.  This  is  called  a 
ji-zai , which  means  “ at 
one’s  will.”  In  the  front 
of  fig.  175  a square  copper 
box  is  noticed,  having  two 
round  openings.  This  box 
is  filled  with  water,  which 
becomes  heated  by  the  fire, 
and  is  for  the  purpose  of 
warming  the  sake , or  wine. 
The  tongs  are  stuck  into 
g.  172.  — Bamboo  Rack  and  the  ashes  in  one  corner. 
Knife-case.  These  consist  of  a long; 


Fig.  173.  — Ji-zai- 


pair  of  iron 


chop-sticks  held  together  at  one  end  by  a large  ring,  so  that 
one  leg  of  the  tongs,  so  to  speak,  may  not  get  misplaced.  No- 
inconsiderable  skill  is  required  to  pick  up  hot  coals  with  this 


FLOORS. 


193 


kitchen  implement,  as  in  unaccustomed  or  awkward  hands  the 
ring  prevents  the  points  from  coming  together. 

It  may  be  proper  to  mention  here  an  arrangement  for  holding 
a pot  over  the  fire,  seen  in  a boat  coming  down  the  Ivitakami 
River,  and  which  is  probably  used  in  the  north  of  Japan, 
though  I have  never  seen  it  in  the  house.  It  consisted  of 
an  upright  stick  having  a groove  through  the  centre.  In  this 
groove  fitted  a jointed 
stick  resting  horizon- 
tally, and  arranged 
in  such  a way  that 
it  could  be  adjusted 
at  any  height.  Fig. 

176  (page  195)  will 
illustrate  the  manner 
of  its  working  bet- 
ter than  any  descrip- 
tion can. 

The  floor  of  most 
rooms,  being  perma- 
nently covered  with 
the  mats  already  de- 
scribed in  previous 
chapters,  has  no  spe- 
cial attention  be- 
stowed upon  it ; at 
all  events,  the  floor  is 

Fig.  174.  — Fireplace  in  Country  House. 

often  of  rough  boards 

laid  in  such  a way  that  irregular  spaces  occur  between  them. 
When  the  house  has  a proper  hall  or  vestibule,  the  floor  is  com- 
posed of  wide  planks ; and  the  smooth,  ivory-like,  polished 
condition  in  which  such  floors  are  often  kept  is  surprising.  In 

13 


194  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIB  SURROUNDINGS. 


country  houses  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  polished-wood  floors 
in  portions  of  the  front  rooms,  and  as  one  rides  along  the 


road  he  may  often  see  the  reflection  of  the  garden  beyond  in 
their  polished  surfaces.  In  country  inns  the  floor  in  the  front 


FLOORS. 


195 


of  the  house  is  often  of  plank.  Matted  floors  are,  however, 
universal  from  the  extreme  north  to  the  extreme  south  of  the 
Empire. 

In  houses  of  traders  bordering  the  street  the  matted  floor 
properly  terminates  a few  feet  within  the  sill,  the  space  between 


Fig.  176. — An  Adjustable  Device  for  supporting  a Kettle. 


being  of  earth.  The  floor  being  raised,  the  space  between  the 
edge  of  the  floor  and  the  earth  is  generally  filled  with  plain  panels 
of  wood,  though  sometimes  designs  of  flowers  or  conventional 
figures  are  cut  in  the  panel.  These  panels  are  often  arranged 
so  that  they  can  be  removed,  revealing  a space  under  the  floor 
in  which  shoes,  umbrellas,  etc.,  can  be  stowed  away. 

One  of  the  surprising  features  that  strike  a foreigner  as  he- 
becomes  acquainted  with  the  Japanese  house  is  the  entire 


196  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


absence  of  so  many  tilings  that  with  us  clutter  the  closets,  or  make 
squirrel-nests  of  the  attic,  — I speak  now  of  the  common  house. 
The  reason  of  this  is  that  the  people  have  never  developed  the 
miserly  spirit  of  hoarding  truck  and  rubbish  with  the  idea  that 
some  day  it  may  come  into  use : this  spirit  when  developed  into 
a mania  converts  a man’s  attic  and  shed  into  a junk- 
shop.  The  few  necessary  articles  kept  by  the  Jap- 
anese are  stowed  away  in  boxes,  cupboards,  or 
interspaces  beneath  the  floors. 

The  kitchens  in  every  case  have  wood 
doors,  as  do  the  halls,  verandahs,  and 
all  passage-ways.  The  ground  be- 
neath the  floor  is,  in  the  houses 
of  the  better  class,  prepared 
with  gravel  and  mortar 
mixed  with  clay,  or 


macadamized. 


A variety  of 
closets  is 
found 
in 


Fig-.  177-  — Kitchen  Closet,  Drawees,  Cupboard,  and  Stairs  combined. 


the  Japanese  house.  The  larger  closets,  closed  by  sliding  screens, 
or  fusuma,  are  used  for  clothing  and  bedding.  The  tansu  — a 
chest  of  drawers  not  unlike  our  bureau  — is  often  placed  within 
the  closet,  which  is  also  a receptacle  for  chests  and  trunks. 
The  ordinary  high  closet  is  not  so  often  seen;  and  where  in  our 


CL  OSETS.  - STAIR  WA  YS. 


197 


houses  it  is  deemed  a necessity  to  have  each  chamber  provided 
with  a closet,  in  the  Japanese  house  bed-chambers  rarely  contain 
such  conveniences.  There  are  low  cupboards  or  closets  in  cer- 
tain recesses,  the  upper  part  or  top  of  which  forms  a deep 
open  shelf.  In  the  kitchen,  dressers  and  similar  conveniences 
are  used  for  the  dishes.  In  the  province  of  Omi  it  is  common 
to  see  a case  of  shelves  with  cupboard  beneath ; upon  the  shelves 
the  larger  dishes  are  displayed.  In  the  kitchen  there  is  often 
combined  with  the  flight  of  stairs  a closet;  and  this  closet  usu- 
ally has  a door  swinging  on  hinges.  In  this  closet  are  often 
kept  the  bed-clothes,  pillows,  candle-sticks,  and  night-lamps. 
Fig.  177  illustrates  the  appearance  of  this  closet.  In  the  hall- 
way, also,  a closet  is  sometimes  seen  in  which  to  stow  away  the 
fjetci,  or  wooden  clogs.  A closet  of  this  nature  is  described 
farther  on. 

As  most  of  the  houses  are  of  one  story,  and  the  area  between 
the  ceiling  and  the  roof  never  utilized,  as  with  us,  stairways  are 
not  common ; when  they  do  occur  they  are  primitive  in  their 
construction.  A stairway  incorporated  into  the  structure  of  a 
building  and  closed  below  I have  never  seen  in  Japan;  nor  is 
there  any  approach  to  the  broad,  low  steps  and  landings  or  spi- 
ral staircases  such  as  we  are  familiar  with  in  American  houses. 
If  the  house  be  of  two  stories  the  staircase  assumes  the  form  of 
a rather  precipitous  step-ladder ; that  is,  it  has  two  side-pieces,  or 
strings,  in  wdiich  the  steps,  consisting  of  thick  plank,  are  mor- 
tised. This  ladder  is  so  steeply  inclined  that  one  lias  to  step 
sideways  in  ascending,  otherwise  his  knee  would  strike  the  step 
above.  Rarely  is  there  any  convenience  to  hold  on  by  : if  present, 
however,  this  consists  of  a strip  of  wood  fastened  to  the  wall, 
or  a rope  is  secured  in  the  same  way.  The  front  of  the  step  is 
open,  — that  is,  there  is  no  riser ; but  if  the  back  of  the  steps 
face  an  open  room,  then  slats  of  wood  are  nailed  on  behind. 


198  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

In  a beautiful  house  recently  erected  in  one  of  the  imperial 
gardens  is  a remarkably  pure  and  simple  staircase  and  rail 
(fig.  178). 

In  the  inns  and  large  farm-houses  the  step-ladder  form  is 
often  seen,  and  this  is  removable  if  occasion  calls  for  it.  An- 
other kind,  common  to  the  same  class  of  houses,  has  the  appear- 
ance of  a number  of  square  boxes  piled  one  upon  another,  like  a 

set  of  different-sized  blocks. 
This  is  a compact  structure, 
however,  though  in  reality 
consisting  of  a number  of 
compartments  which  may  be 
separated.  There  are  many 
forms  of  this  kind  of  stair- 
case. The  one  shown  in  fig. 
177  has  the  first  two  steps 
closed ; then  comes  a low 
cupboard  with  sliding  doors 
at  the  side,  its  upper  corner 
Fig.  178.—  Stair-rail.  forming  another  step.  Upon 

the  cupboard  rest  three  more 
steps,  each  of  which  has  a drawer  which  pulls  out  at  the  side. 
Next  to  this  comes  a high  closet,  supporting  on  its  top  two  or 
three  more  steps.  This  closet  usually  has  a swinging  door, — 
a feature  rarely  seen  elsewhere  within  the  Japanese  house  proper. 
This  closet  contains  on  its  floor  the  night-lamp,  or  andon,  and  tall 
candlesticks,  and  above  are  stowed  away  the  bedding  and  pillows : 
or  it  may  be  used  for  trays  and  dishes.  The  steps  are  not  so  steep 
as  in  the  ladder  form,  have  no  baluster  or  rail,  and  are  remark- 
ably solid.  It  may  be  well  to  say  here  that  the  wood  compos- 
ing the  staircase,  as  well  as  certain  iloors,  is  highly  finished,  often 
with  a surface  like  polished  ivory.  I have  frequently  examined 
the  wood  for  evidences  of  wax  or  polish  applied  to  its  surface. 


STAIRWAYS.  — PUBLIC  BATHING.  199 

but  found  none.  Inquiry  brought  out  the  curious  information 
that  the  water  from  the  bath  is  often  used  to  moisten  the  cloth 
with  which  the  wood  is  wiped ; and  evidently  the  sebaceous  secre- 
tions of  the  skin  had  much  to  do  with  the  beautiful  polish  often 
attained.  When  a house  possesses  a genko , or  hall,  the  steps,  two 
or  three  in  number,  are  as  broad  as  the  hall,  and  generally  the 
steps  are  somewhat  higher  than  our  steps.  These  steps  are  in 
every  case  permanently  built  into  the  structure  of  the  floor.  In 
the  steps  which  lead  from  the  verandah  to  the  ground  the  usual 
form  is  in  the  shape  of  square  or  irregular  blocks  of  stone  or 
wood ; if  of  wood,  the  step  may  be  a transverse  section  of  some 


Fig.  179.  — Steps  to  Verandah. 


huge  tree,  or  a massive  plank.  Other  forms  of  steps  may  con- 
sist simply  of  two  side-pieces,  with  the  steps  made  of  plank  and 
mortised  in  (fig.  179) ; or  a more  compact  structure  may  be  made 
with  a very  low  hand-rail.  These  forms  are  all  adjustable  ; 
that  is,  they  may  be  placed  at  any  part  of  the  verandah. 

There  is  no  feature  of  social  life  in  Japan  which  has  been 
more  ignorantly,  and  in  some  cases  wilfully,  animadverted  upon 
than  the  custom  of  public  bathing ; nevertheless,  I dare  to  say 
that  there  is  no  feature  in  Japanese  life  to  be  more  heartily 
commended  than  this  same  system  of  public  bathing.  But  by 
this  assertion  I do  not  mean  to  suggest  that  we  shall  forth- 
with proceed  to  establish  baths  after  the  Japanese  style,  and 


200  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


take  them  after  the  Japanese  fashion.  The  Japanese,  as  well 
as  other  Eastern  people,  have  for  centuries  been  accustomed  to 
see  nakedness,  without  its  provoking  among  them  the  slightest 
attention,  or  in  any  way  suggesting  immodesty.  With  us, 
on  the  contrary,  the  effect  has  been  different ; and  the  dire 
result  is  seen  in  the  almost  utter  extinction  in  our  country  of 
the  classical  drama,  and  the  substitution  therefor  of  ballet- 
dancing and  burlesques, — of  anything  in  fact  that  shall  present 
to  the  vulgar  gaze  of  thousands  the  female  form  in  scanty 
apparel.1  A Turkish  woman  looks  upon  her  Christian  sister  as 
not  only  immodest  and  vulgar,  but  absolutely  immoral,  because 
she  unblushingly  parades  the  public  street  with  a naked  face  ; 
but  the  Christian  woman  knows  that  the  established  customs 
of  her  country  sanction  such  an  exposure  as  entirely  proper. 
A girl  who  in  our  country  would  deem  it  immodest  to  appear 
among  the  members  of  her  own  family  in  a robe  de  chambre, 
and  yet  under  the  glare  of  a bright  gas-light,  in  the  midst  of 
scores  of  strangers,  appears  with  low  corsage,  is  committing 
an  act  which  to  a Turkish  woman  would  appear  inexplicable. 
To  a Japanese,  the  sight  of  our  dazzling  ball-rooms,  with  girls 
in  decollete  dresses,  clasped  in  the  arms  of  their  partners  and 
whirling  to  the  sound  of  exciting  music,  must  seem  the  wildest 
debauch  imaginable ; for  in  Japan  the  sexes,  except  among  the 
lower  classes,  never  intermingle.  No  free  and  happy  picnics, 
sleigh-rides,  boat-sails,  and  evening  parties  among  the  girls  and 

1 A correspondent  in  the  “ Pall  Mall  Gazette,”  in  protesting  against  the  attempt  to 
impose  European  clothing  on  those  people  who  are  accustomed  to  go  without  any,  says: 
11  In  many  parts  of  India  there  is  a profound  suspicion  of  the  irreligiousness  of  clothing. 
The  fakir  is  distressed  even  by  the  regulation  rag  upon  which  the  Government  modestly 
insists,  and  a fully  dressed  fakir  would  he  scouted.  The  late  Brahmo  minister,  Chesub 
Chunder  Sen,  expressed  the  belief  that  India  would  never  accept  a Christ  in  hat  and 
boots.  The  missionary  should  remember  that  clothes-morality  is  climatic,  and  that  if  a 
certain  degree  of  covering  of  the  body  has  gradually  become  in  the  Northwest  associated 
with  morality  and  piety,  the  traditions  of  tropical  countries  may  have  equally  connected 
elaborate  dress  rather  with  the  sensualities  of  Solomon  in  his  glory  than  with  the  purity 
of  the  lily  as  clothed  by  Nature.” 


PUBLIC  BATHING. 


201 


boys  are  known  there  ; no  hand-shake,  no  friendly  kiss.  If  the 
Japanese  visitor  in  this  country  is  a narrow-minded  and  witless 
scribbler,  he  will  probably  startle  his  friends  at  home  with  ac- 
counts of  the  grossly  immoral  character  of  Christians.  Unfa- 
miliar as  he  is  with  the  corner  loafer  eying  every  girl  that 
walks  by,  or  with  that  class  which  throng  our  walks  with  the 
sole  purpose  of  staring  at  the  girls,  who  are  there  for  the  pur- 
pose of  being  stared  at,  what  must  he  think  of  our  people  when 
he  visits  our  summer  resorts  at  the  seaside  and  sees  a young 
girl  — nay,  swarms  of  them  — tripping  over  the  sand  under  a 
bright  sun,  bare-legged,  clad  only  in  a single  wrapper,  which  when 
wet  clings  to  her  form  and  renders  her  an  object  of  contemplation 
to  a battalion  of  young  men  who  fringe  the  beach ! 

In  Japan,  among  the  lower  classes,  the  sexes  bathe  together, 
but  with  a modesty  and  propriety  that  are  inconceivable  to  a 
foreigner  until  he  has  witnessed  it.  Though  naked,  there  is  no 
indecent  exposure  of  the  person.  While  in  the  bath  they  are 
absorbed  in  their  work,  and  though  chatting  and  laughing  seem 
utterly  unmindful  of  each  other.  The  grossest  libels  have  been 
written  about  the  Japanese  in  reference  to  their  custom  of  public 
bathing ; and  I hazard  the  statement,  without  fear  of  contra- 
diction, that  an  intelligent  Japanese,  seeing  many  of  our  customs 
for  the  first  time,  without  knowing  the  conditions  under  which 
they  had  grown  up,  would  find  infinitely  more  to  condemn  as 
immodest,  than  an  intelligent  foreigner  would  find  in  seeing  for 
the  first  time  certain  Jajranese  customs,  with  the  same  ignorance 
at  the  outset  as  to  what  such  customs  implied. 

If  cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness,  then  verily  the  Japanese  are 
a godly  race.1  The  simple  statement,  without  qualification,  that 
numbers  of  Japanese  in  their  public  baths  bathe  in  the  same 

1 Rein  says : “ The  cleanliness  of  the  Japanese  is  one  of  his  most  commendable 
qualities.  It  is  apparent  in  his  body,  in  his  house,  in  his  workshop,  and  no  less  in  the 
great  carefulness  and  exemplary  exactness  with  which  he  loots  after  his  fields.” 


202  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIB  SURROUNDINGS. 

water  would  seem  a filthy  habit.  Certainly  if  such  a statement 
were  really  true  in  regard  to  our  own  lower  classes,  it  would  be  a 
most  filthy  habit.  When  it  is  understood,  however,  that  the 
Japanese  working  classes  — such  as  the  carpenters,  masons,  and 
others  — often  bathe  two  or  three  times  a day,  and  must  of  neces- 
sity enter  the  hath  in  a state  of  cleanliness  such  as  our  workmen 
rarely  if  ever  attain,  the  statement  loses  some  of  its  force. 
When  it  is  further  added  that  these  people  clo  not  wash  in  the 
baths,  hut  boil  or  soak  in  them  for  a while,  and  then  upon  a 
platform,  with  an  extra  bucket  of  water  and  a towel,  wash  and 
dry  themselves,  the  filthy  character  of  this  performance  assumes 
quite  another  aspect.  A Japanese  familiar  with  his  airy  and 
barn-like  theatres,  his  public  readings  under  an  open  tent-like 
structure,  or  gatherings  in  a room  in  which  one  or  all  sides 
may  be  open  to  the  air  even  in  mid-winter,  would  look  upon 
the  usual  public  gatherings  of  our  people  in  lecture-halls,  school- 
rooms, and  other  closed  apartments,  wherein  the  air  often  be- 
comes so  foul  that  people  faint  and  struggle  to  the  door  to  get 
a breath  of  fresh  air,  — a Japanese,  I say,  would  justly  look 
upon  such  practices  as  filthy  to  the  last  degree.  And  what 
would  he  say  to  one  of  our  great  political  meetings,  for  exam- 
ple, where  a vast  unwashed  herd  of  perspiring  and  excited  people 
actually  bathe  their  delicate  membranous  lungs  in  the  combined 
breath  of  hundreds  ! 

The  public  baths,  however,  do  not  concern  us,  — though  it  may 
be  well  to  contrast  our  country  with  Japan  in  this  respect,  where 
in  the  latter  country  every  village  and  every  town,  and  in  the 
city  nearly  every  square,  possess  public  baths  where  for  the 
price  of  a cent  or  two  one  may  find  conveniences  for  a hot  bath ; 
while  in  our  country  public  baths  are  only  found  in  the  larger 
cities,  and  few  of  these  even  can  boast  of  such  a luxury.  As  for 
the  private  houses  in  our  country  where  bathing  is  customary,  an 
inquiry  shows  that  few  possess  the  convenience  of  a bath-tub. 


BA  THING  CON  VENIENCES. 


203 


Among  the  masses  of  our  people  a Saturday-night  wash  may  or 
may  not  be  enforced ; when  it  is,  this  performance  usually  takes 
place  in  the  kitchen,  with  hot  water  furnished  from  the  kettle. 
But  in  Japan  nearly  every  house 
among  the  higher  and  middle 
classes  possesses  the  most  ample 
arrangements  for  hot  baths ; and 
even  among  the  poorer  classes, 
in  the  country  as  well  as  in  the 
city,  this  convenience  is  not  want- 
ing, with  the  added  convenience 
of  public  baths  everywhere  attain- 
able if  desired. 

There  are  many  forms  of  bath- 
ing-tubs, all  of  them  being  large  and  deep.  Means  for  applying 
the  heat  direct,  which  is  of  course  the  most  economical,  is 
attained  in  various  ways.  In  the  common  form  (fig.  180),  a 
small  chamber  of  copper  is  introduced  at  one  end  near  the 
bottom  of  the  tub,  — the  mouth  having  a frame  of  stone,  or 

of  clay  or  plaster.  In  this 
chamber  a fire  is  built,  and 
the  water  can  be  brought,  if 
necessary,  to  the  boiling-point. 
Within  the  tub  a few  trans- 
verse bars  prevent  the  bather 
from  coming  in  contact  with 
the  hot  chamber  in  which  the 
fire  is  burning.  In  another 
form,  a copper  funnel  or  tube 
passes  directly  through  the 
bottom  of  the  bathing-tub  (fig.  181).  The  bottom  of  this  tube 
has  a grating  of  wire  ; charcoal  is  then  placed  in  the  tube,  and 
its  combustion  rapidly  heats  the  water.  A pan  is  placed  below 


204  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


the  tube  to  catcli  the  coal  and  ashes  that  fall  through.  In  a 
more  elaborate  form  (fig.  182),  the  bath-tub  is  in  two  sections, 
separated  by  the  partition  of  the  room.  These  two  sections 

are  connected  by  a num- 
ber of  bamboo  tubes  or 
flues,  so  that  the  water 
may  circulate  freely. 
The  section  outside  con- 
tains the  fire-box,  in 
which  the  fire  is  built  • 
by  this  arrangement  the 
bather  escapes  the  dis- 
comfort of  the  smoke 
from  the  fire. 

A very  excellent  form  of  bathing-tub  is  shown  in  fig.  183, 
in  which,  outside  the  tub,  is  a chamber  not  unlike  a small 
wooden  barrel  closed  at  both  ends  ; through  this  barrel  runs 
a copper  tube,  in  which  a fire  of  charcoal  is  built.  The  barrel 
is  connected  with  the 
bath-tub  by  a large 
bamboo  tube,  having 
a little  square  door 
within,  which  the 
bather  may  close  if 
the  water  becomes  too 
hot.  In  many  cases 
a hood  is  arranged 
in  such  a way  that  Fig.  183. — Bath-tub  with  outside  Heating- 

, . . . CHAMBER. 

the  smoke  from  the 

fire  is  carried  off.  These  tubs  stand  on  a large  wooden  floor, 
the  planks  of  which  incline  to  a central  gutter.  Here  the 
bather  scrubs  himself  with  a separate  bucket  of  water,  after 
having  literally  parboiled  himself  in  water  the  temperature 


Fig.  182.  — Bath-tub  in  section,  with  Oven 

OUTSIDE  THE  R.OOM. 


BA  THING  CONVENIENCES. 


205 


of  which,  is  so  great  that  it  is  impossible  for  a foreigner  to 
endure  it. 

A very  common  form  of  bath  in  the  country  consists  of  a 
large  and  shallow  iron  kettle,  upon  the  top  of  which  is  secured 
a wooden  extension,  so  as  to  give  sufficient  depth  to  the  water 
within  (fig.  1 84).  The  fire  is  built  beneath  the  kettle,  — the 
bather  having  a rack  of  wood  which  he  sinks  beneath  him,  and 
upon  which  he  stands  to  protect  his  feet  from  burning.  This 
tub  is  called  a Goyemon  buro , named 
after  Ishikawa  Goyemon,  — a famous 
robber  of  Taiko’s  time,  who  was 
treated  to  a bath  in  boiling  oil. 

There  are  doubtless  other  forms  of 
bath-tubs  with  conveniences  for  heat- 
ing the  water,  but  the  forms  here 
given  comprise  the  principal  kinds. 

There  is  110  reason  why  similar  con-  Fig.  184.  — Bath-tub,  with  Ikon 
veniences  might  not  be  adopted  in 

our  country  in  cases  where  aqueducts  or  city  supply  is  not  avail- 
able. There  are  many  forms  of  foot-tubs  and  large  wooden  tubs 
with  high  backs,  in  which  hot  water  is  poured  ; but  there  is  no 
necessity  of  describing  them  here. 

While  in  a Japanese  house,  as  we  have  seen,  the  most  ample 
conveniences  exist  for  taking  a hot  or  cold  bath,  the  minor 
conveniences  for  washing  the  face  and  hands  are  not  always 
so  apparent.  In  such  attempts  one  is  more  often  reminded  of 
a primitive  country  house  at  home,  where  one  either  goes  down 
to  the  kitchen,  and  amid  a clutter  of  pails  and  pans  manages 
to  wash  himself,  or  else  takes  a tin  basin  and  goes  out  to 
the  well,  — and  this  on  a fresh  cool  morning  is  by  far  the 
more  agreeable.  In  the  country  a Japanese  may  be  seen  in  the 
yard  or  by  the  roadside  washing  his  face  in  a bucket  or  shallow 


206  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


tub  ; and  at  inns,  and  even  in  private  houses,  one  is  given  a 
copper  basin,  and  a bucket  of  water  being  brought  he  uses 
a portion  of  the  verandah  as  a wash-stand.  That  conveniences 
for  this  purpose  do  exist  to  some  extent  may  be  seen  from 
the  accompanying  sketches. 

The  one  shown  in  fig.  185  may  sometimes  be  found  in 
country  inns  at  the  north.  This  consists  of  a shallow  trough 


resting  on  the  floor  at  the  end  of  the  verandah  or  passage-way. 
In  the  trough  is  a stout  water-bucket  with  cover,  and  a copper 
wash-basin. 

The  convenience  shown  in  fig.  186  was  in  a private  house 
in  Tokio.  Here  the  trough  was  above  the  level  of  the  floor, 
in  a recessed  portion  of  a passage-way  which  ran  behind  a suite 
of  rooms.  The  wood-work  about  it  was  made  with  great  care. 
The  sliding  window-frames,  covered  with  stout  white  paper,  ad- 
mitted sufficient  light ; while  the  rich  brown  pottery-jar,  the 
clean  wooden  dipper,  copper  basin,  and  quaint  towel-rack  were 
all  attractive  features  from  their  very  neatness  and  simplicity. 

It  may  seem  odd  for  one  to  get  enthusiastic  over  so  simple 
an  affair  as  a trough  and  a few  honest  contrivances  for  washing 


BATHING  CONVENIENCES. 


207 


the  hands  and  face ; nevertheless  such  a plain  and  sensible 
arrangement  is  a relief,  in  contrast  to  certain  guest-chambers 
at  home,  where  one  wishing  to  go  through  the  rather  vigorous 
performance  of  dashing  into  the  water  with  his  elbows  out- 
stretched, finds  these  free  movements  curtailed  to  the  last  de- 
gree by  a regiment  of  senseless  toilet  articles  in  the  shape  of 


Fig.  186.  — Lavatory  in  Private  House. 


attenuated  bottles,  mugs,  soap-dishes  with  rattling  covers,  and 
diminutive  top-heavy  pitchers  crowded  about  his  wash-basin, 
and  all  resting  on  a slab  of  white  marble.  Things  are  inevi- 
tably broken  if  they  are  brought  down  too  hard  upon  such  a 
bottom.  After  such  recollections,  one  admires  the  Japanese 
sink,  with  its  durable  flat-bottomed  basin,  capacious  pottery-jar 
for  water,  and  ample  space  to  thrash  about  in  without  fear 
of  spattering  the  wall-paper  or  smashing  a lot  of  useless  toilet 
articles  in  the  act. 


208  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


1 lie  form  last  described  is  the  usual  one  seen  in  private 
houses.  Conveniences  of  this  nature  that  are  brought  to  the 
level  of  the  floor,  while  giving  the  Japanese  who  are  used  to 
them  no  trouble,  are  found  to  be  exceedingly  awkward  for  a 
foreigner,  who  is  obliged  to  go  through  his  toilet  in  a stooping- 
posture. 


Often  the  toilet  places  are  rendered  exceedingly  attractive 
by  the  ornamental  wood-work  used  in  their  construction. 

Fig.  187  is  a 
drawing  from  a 
design  in  a Jap- 
anese book,  enti- 
tled “Yaye  Gaki 
no  Den.”  I have 
modified  the  draw- 
ing to  conform 
more  to  our  me- 
thods of  perspec- 
tive. This  was- 
placed  at  the  end 
of  the  verandah, 
and  on  a level 
with  the  floor.  A. 

low  partition  formed  a screen  at  one  side ; within  the  recess 
thus  made  was  a low  shelf  for  the  pottery  water-jar.  The  floor 
of  the  sink  consisted  of  bamboo  rods  placed  close  together,, 
through  which  the  spilled  water  found  its  way  by  proper 
channels  to  the  ground  without.  A paper-lantern  hung  against 
the  wall,  and  dipper  and  towel-rack  were  conveniently  at 
hand.  Other  forms  might  be  given,  but  enough  has  been 
shown  to  illustrate  how  well  these  conveniences  are  arranged, 
for  that  important  daily  operation  of  washing  the  face  and 
hands.  Further  conveniences  for  simply  washing  the  hands  are 


Fig.  1S7-  — Lavatory  copied  from  Japanese  Book. 


TOWEL-RACKS. 


209 


offered  in  the  chodzu-bachi,  description  and  figures  of  which 
will  be  given  under  that  head. 


The  towel-rack  merits  some  attention  from  its  exceedingly 
•simple  structure.  There  are  many  forms,  most  of  them  rustic 


m design  and  made  to  be  suspended.  The  following  figures 
(figs.  188-192)  illustrate  some  of  the  forms  in  common  use. 
The  simplest  kind  is  in  the  shape  of  a ring  of  bamboo  sus- 
pended by  a larger  bamboo,  to  the  end  of  which  it  is  attached. 


210  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Another  form,  and  a very  common  one,  is  a yoke  of  bamboo,, 
the  lower  ends  of  which  are  firmly  secured  to  a larger  bamboo, 
confining  at  the  same  time  a piece  of  bamboo  which  slides 
freely  up  and  down  on  the  yoke,  and  by  its  own  weight  resting 
on  the  towel  which  may  be  thrown  across  the  lower  bamboo. 
Another  form  consists  of  a loop  of  bamboo  suspended  to  the 
side  of  a board  which  is  hung  against  the  wall. 

The  towels  are  pretty  objects,  being  of  cotton  or  linen,  and 
usually  have  printed  upon  them  sketchy  designs  in  two  shades 
of  blue. 

After  living  in  Japan  for  a time  one  realizes  how  few  are 
the  essentials  necessary  for  personal  comfort.  He  further  real- 
izes that  his  personal  comfort  is  enhanced  by  the  absence  of 
many  things  deemed  indispensable  at  home.  In  regard  to  the 
bed  and  its  arrangements,  the  Japanese  have  reduced  this 
affair  to  its  simplest  expression.  The  whole  floor,  the  whole 
house  indeed,  is  a bed,  and  one  can  fling  himself  down  on  the 
soft  mats,  in  the  draught  or  out  of  it,  upstairs  or  down,  and 
find  a smooth,  firm,  and  level  surface  upon  which  to  sleep,  — 
no  creaking  springs,  hard  bunches  or  awkward  hollows  await- 
ing him,  but  a bed-surface  as  wide  as  the  room  itself,  and 
comfortable  to  the  last  degree.  To  be  more  explicit,  the  bed  is 
made  upon  the  mats ; there  is  no  bedstead,  or  frame,  or  circum- 
scribed area  of  any  kind  upon  or  within  which  the  bed  is  placed.1 
The  bed-clothes  consisting  of  lightly  or  heavily  wadded  com- 
forters are  spread  upon  the  floor,  one  or  more  forming  the  bed, 
and  another  one  acting  as  a covering.  The  common  ones  are 
wTadded  with  cotton ; the  best  ones  are  made  of  silk,  and  are 
stuffed  with  floss  silk.  In  private  houses  one  often  gets  a bed 
consisting  of  a number  of  these  silk  comforters,  — and  a most- 

1 From  the  name  tokonoma,  which  means  “ bed-place,”  literally  “ bed  of  floor,” 
it  is  supposed  that  in  ancient  times  the  bed  was  made  or  placed  in  this  recess. 


BEDDING  AND  PILLOWS. 


211 


delightful  bed  they  make.  In  summer  the  foreigner  finds  these 
wadded  affairs  altogether  too  hot  and  stuffy ; and  at  all  times 
he  misses  the  clean  sheets  which  at  home  intervene  between 
the  bed-clothes  and  his  person,  — though  a clean  night-dress  is 
provided  if  desired,  and  this  answers  as  a substitute  for  the 
sheets.  In  the  day-time  these  comforters  are  folded  up  and 
stowed  away  in  some  closet. 

The  usual  form  of  pillow,  or  makura,  consists  of  a light 
closed  wooden  box,  with  a bottom  either  flat  or  slightly  convex. 
On  the  top  of  this  box  is  secured  a small  cylindrically-shaped 


cushion  stuffed  with  buckwheat  hulls.  This  cushion  is  tied  to 
the  box,  and  the  same  string  that  holds  it  in  place  also  se- 
cures the  pillow-case,  which  is  simply  a sheet  of  soft  paper 
folded  several  times,  as  shown  in  the  figures  here  given 
(%•  193). 

There  are  many  other  forms  of  pillow,  either  in  the  shape 
of  a hard  cushion  or  of  a square  oblong  box,  the  ends  being 
of  wood,  and  the  rest  of  basket-work.  Porcelain  pillows  are 
also  seen,  but  rarely.  There  are  also  many  forms  of  portable 
ones,  some  of  which  fold  and  stow  away  in  small  compass, 
and  others  of  which  are  in  the  shape  of  a box,  within  which  are 
drawers  and  spaces  for  paper-lantern,  matches,  mirror,  comb, 
and  various  articles  of  the  toilet.  These  are  generally  used  by 


travellers.  The  Japanese,  with  a pillow  of  this  kind,  can 
literally  take  up  his  bed  and  walk;  for  if  he  has  a head-rest 
or  pillow  containing  these  conveniences,  he  can  get  along  very 
well.  Pillows  in  all  cases  are  arranged  to  support  the  head 
naturally,  when  the  shoulder  rests  on  the  floor,  as  in  the  fol- 
lowing figure  (fig.  104).  To  a foreigner,  until  he  becomes 
accustomed  to  it,  the  Japanese  pillow  seems  exceedingly  awk- 
ward, and  his  first  experience  with  it  results  in  a stiff  neck 
the  next  morning;  and  at  intervals  during  the  night  he  has 
the  sensation  that  lie  is  falling  out  of  bed,  for  any  freedom  of 
movement  of  the  head  results  in  its  downfall  from  the  pillow. 


hair  was  done  up  in  the  rigid  queue,  and  is  still  a necessity  for 
women  with  their  methods  of  hair-dressing ; but  with  the  gen- 
eral abandonment  of  the  queue  on  the  part  of  the  men,  a few 
of  them  are  resorting  to  head-rests  more  like  our  pillows,  though 
much  smaller  and  harder,  and  on  the  whole  I believe  many 
find  this  substitute  more  comfortable. 

This  simple  form  of  bed  entails  much  less  work  on  the 
chamber-maid  than  do  our  arrangements.  In  a large  inn  one 
girl  will  do  the  chamber-work  for  the  entire  house.  In  fact 
this  work  is  ridiculously  simple.  The  futons,  or  comforters,  are 
rapidly  folded  up  and  stowed  away,  or  hung  over  the  balcony 
rail  to  air.  She  gathers  up  a huge  pile  of  the  light  pillow- 


Pig.  194.  — Showing  position  op  Head  in  resting 
on  Pillow. 


Getting  used  to  it,  how- 
ever, one  recognizes  that 
this  pillow  has  its  good 
points ; the  neck  is  kept 
free  for  the  air  to  cir- 
culate beneath,  and  the 
head  is  kept  cool.  This 
peculiar  form  of  pillow 
was  a necessity  for  the 
Japanese  so  long  as  the 


BEDDING  AND  PILLOWS. 


213 


boxes  in  her  arms,  and  carries  them  to  the  room  below ; here 
she  unties  the  strings  which  hold  the  cushions  in  place,  sub- 
stitutes clean  sheets  of  folded  paper  for  the  soiled  ones, and 

the  work  of  bed-making  is  done.  With  a duster,  consisting  of 
strips  of  tough  paper  tied  to  the  end  of  a slender  bamboo,  the 
rooms  are  dusted  and  made  ready  for  the  next  arrivals.  As 
matters  pertaining  to  the  toilet  are  performed  in  other  portions 
of  the  house,  the  rooms  are  placed  in  order  in  an  incredibly 
short  time. 

In  a crowded  inn  each  guest  may  occupy  the  dimensions 
of  one  mat ; and  the  entire  floor  is  occupied  in  this  way.  In 
winter  a thickly-wadded  comforter  is  provided,  which  is  made 
in  the  form  of  a huge  garment  having  capacious  sleeves. 
Many  rooms  have  a 
square  hole  in  the 
fl o o r in  w h i c h, 
when  needed,  a fire 
of  charcoal  may  be 
kindled;  this  is 
called  a ro.  Above 
the  ro  a square 
frame  of  wood  is  Fig.  195.  — Heating  Arrangement  in  Floor. 
adjusted,  and  the 

bed-clothes  being  placed  over  this  frame  are  thoroughly  heated, 
so  that  one  may  go  to  lied  in  the  warmest  of  nests.  In  the 
day-time  one  may  gather  a portion  of  the  bed-clothes  about 
him,  and  keep  warm  by  the  little  coal-fire  burning  beneath. 
Fig.  195  is  an  illustration  of  this  opening  in  the  floor,  with 
frame-work  above  to  keep  the  bedclothes  from  falling  on  the 
fire  below.  A little  wooden  box  is  used  for  the  purpose  of 
holding  an  earthen  receptacle  for  coals,  and  this  is  taken  to  bed 
as  a substitute  for  the  hot  stone  or  brick  which  is  often  used  at 
home  for  a similar  purpose.  From  the  inflammable  nature  of 


214  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


the  bedding,  many  tires  must  originate  from  carelessness  in  the 
use  of  this  luxury. 

In  this  connection  it  may  be  well  to  add  that  oftentimes 
little  square  thin  cushions  are  provided  for  guests  to  sit  upon; 
and  one  often  sees  a light  round  cushion  which  is  used  as  an. 
elbow-rest  when  one  is  reclining  (fig.  196). 

Mosquito  nettings,  or  kaya,. 
are  to  be  found  in  all  houses, 
even  the  poorest  people  being 
supplied  with  them.  The  usu- 
al form  of  netting  is  made  in 
the  shape  of  a square  box, 
nearly  as  large  as  the  room ; 
and  this,  when  placed  in  position,  is  suspended  at  the  four 
corners  by  cords  which  are  tied  to  pegs  in  the  four  corners  of 
the  room.  A smaller  netting  for  infants  is  made  on  a frame- 
work of  bamboo  like  a cage,  and  this  may  be  placed  over  the 
infant  wherever  it  may  drop  to  sleep  on  the  mats. 

An  inseparable  accompaniment  of  every  Japanese  home, 
from  the  most  exalted  to  the  very  humblest,  is  the  hibachi . 
This  object  consists  of  a vessel  partially  filled  with  fine  ashes, 
containing  when  in  use  a few  bits  of  burning;  charcoal.  This 
vessel  may  be  of  bronze,  iron,  porcelain,  earthenware,  or  even 
of  wood  lined  with  copper,  or  a wooden  box  containing  an 
earthen  vessel.  The  most  usual  form  of  hibachi  consists  of  a 
square  wooden  box  lined  with  copper,  between  which  and  the 
wood  is  a layer  of  clay  or  plaster  (fig.  200).  A very  cheap 
and  common  form  ts  a wooden  box  in  which  is  a cylindrical 
jar  of  black  unglazed  earthenware  (fig.  197). 

A pair  of  iron  rods  generally  held  together  at  one  end  by 
a large  ring  answer  as  tongs,  being  used  after  the  manner  of 
chop-sticks.  These  are  either  stuck  in  the  ashes,  or  when  the 


Fig.  196.  — Elbow-rest. 


H IB  AC  HI  AND  TABAKO-BON. 


215 


wooden  box  contains  the  fire-vessel  separately  there  may  he 
secured  in  the  corner  of  this  box  a bamboo  tube  in  which  the 
tongs  are  kept. 

In  bronze  hibaclii  there 
are  handles  or  rings  on 
the  sides  for  convenience 
of  moving.  In  the  square- 
box  hibaclii  cleats  are 
nailed  on  opposite  sides 
to  answer  as  handles  ; or, 
as  is  more  usually  the 
case,  narrow  holes  are 
cut  through  the  sides  of 


Fig.  197.  — Common  Hibachi. 


the  box  to  accommodate  the  fingers,  as  shown  in  the  previous 
figure  (197). 

Much  art  and  skill  are  displayed  in  the  bronze  and  iron 
hibachi,  and  forms  such  as  might  be  found  in  an  ordinary 
house  in  Japan  would  be  regarded  as  gems  in  collections  of 
bric-a-brac  at  home.  Even  the  wooden  hibaclii  are  often  ob- 
jects of  exquisite  taste. 
We  recall  an  old  one 
made  of  the  richest 
grained  wood,  in  which 
were  drawers  at  one 
end  to  hold  pipes  and 
tobacco,  and  around  the 
base  of  the  box  ran  a 
deep  band  of  black 
Fig.  198.  — Hibachi.  lacquer  inlaid  with  or- 

naments of  pearl,  the 
design  representing  in  various  positions  the  iron  bits  of  a horse. 
So  various  and  oftentimes  inexplicable  are  the  surprises  in  their 
designs,  that  one  might  almost  imagine  the  decorator  to  have 


216  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


opened  while  blindfolded  a dictionary  of  objects,  and  to  have 
taken  the  first  word  he  saw  as  the  theme  for  his  subject. 

A very  favorite  form  of  wooden  hibaclii  is  shown  in  f io*. 

o 

198.  This  consists  of  a single  piece  of  oak  or  other  hard 
wood  turned  in  a cylindrical  form,  the  grain  being  brought 
into  relief  by  special  treatment,  and  the  inside  lined  with  cop- 
per. An  old  one  richly  colored  and  polished  by  age  is  much 
esteemed. 

The  hibachi  may  be  quite  a large  affair,  and  subserve  the 
duties  of  a stove  as  well.  An  iron  ring  having  three  leo-s. 


in  fig.  199  shows  a little  child  warming  itself,  while  wrapped 
in  a thick  night-garment.  One  will  often  observe  a Japanese 
absent-mindedly  stirring  the  coals  or  ashes  with  the  tongs,  just 
as  we  are  fond  of  doing  at  home. 

A sentiment  prompts  many  families  to  keep  the  hibachi 
fire  burning  continually ; and  I was  told  that  in  one  family  in 
Tokio  the  fire  had  been  kept  alive  continuously  for  over  two 
hundred  years. 

In  a winter  party  the  hibachi  are  previously  arranged  by  the 
servants,  one  being  allotted  to  each  guest ; and  the  place  where 
each  is  to  sit  on  the  matted  floor  is  often  indicated  by  a little 


Fig.  199.  — Hibachi. 


or  a grid  spanning 
the  box,  is  provided 
on  which  the  tea- 
kettle is  supported, 
or  even  fishes  broiled. 
The  hibachi  is  a sort 
of  portable  fireplace, 
around  which  the 
family  gather  to  gos- 
sip, drink  tea,  or 
warm  their  hands. 
The  one  represented 


H IB  AC  HI  AND  TABAKO-BON. 


217 


square  cloth-cushion.  Fig.  200  illustrates  the  arrangement  of 
Idbachi  for  company. 

Whenever  you  call  on  a friend,  winter  or  summer,  his  very 
first  act  of  hospitality  is  to  place  the  hibachi  before  you.  Even 


Tig.  200.  — Hibachi  arranged  for  Company. 


in  shops  the  hibachi  is  present,  or  is  brought  in  and  placed  on 
the  mats  when  a visitor  enters. 

A smaller  form  of  hibachi , called  a tabako-bon  (fig.  201),  is 
also  usually  brought  to  a visitor.  It  is  a convenience  used  by 
smokers,  and  is  commonly  in  the  form  of  a square  wooden  box 
containing  a small  earthen  vessel 
for  holding  hot  coals,  and  a seg- 
ment of  bamboo  either  with  or 
without  a cover.  This  last  is  a 
hand  cuspidore,  and  great  refine- 
ment is  shown  in  using  it,  either 
by  averting  the  head  or  screening 
the  mouth  with  the  hand.  The 
cuspidore,  or  spittoon,  as  commonly  used  by  us,  seems  vulgar 
in  comparison  with  that  of  the  Japanese.  Sometimes  the  tabako- 
bon  is  made  out  of  the  burl  of  an  oak  in  which  a natural  de- 
pression occurs  (fig.  202).  This  form  is  often  seen  in  Japanese 


218  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR,  SURROUNDINGS. 

picture-books.  Another  form  is  shown  in  fig.  203.  There  are 
many  and  various  designs  for  this  convenience,  some  of  them 
being  very  odd.  To  replenish  the  hibachi  with  hot  coals  there 
is  provided  a shallow  iron  bowl  called  a dai-ju-no  (fig.  204). 

Upon  the  bottom  of  this 
bowl  is  riveted  a bent 
strip  of  iron,  which  in 
turn  is  secured  to  a 
stand  of  wood.  The 
bowl  lias  an  iron  socket, 
into  which  is  fitted  a 
wooden  handle.  In  this 
vessel  burning  coals  are  brought  by  the  servant. 

When  the  hibachi  is  properly  arranged,  it  is  customary 
to  heap  the  ashes  in  a pyramidal  pile  about  the  coals  and 
mark  a series  of  radiating  lines  upon  it.  The  charcoal  to  re- 
plenish the  fire  is  generally  kept  in  a basket,  though  sometimes 
a deep  wooden  box  with  a handle  is  used.  The  baskets  used 
for  this  purpose  are  always  tasty  affairs,  having  often  a rich 
brown  color  from  age.  In  the 
basket  is  a pair  of  old  brass  or 
copper  rods  with  which  to  handle 
the  coal.  A single  stick  of  coal 
buried  vertically  in  the  ashes  is 
burned  for  several  hours.  The 
charcoal-vender  has  a curious 
way  of  utilizing  the  small  and 
pulverized  fragments  of  the 
charcoal,  by  mixing  the  powder  with  some  kind  of  sea-weed, 
and  then  forming  the  mass  into  round  balls  the  size  of  a large 
orange.  In  making  these  balls  he  goes  through  a motion  pre- 
cisely like  that  seen  in  making  snow-balls.  These  are  after- 
wards dried  in  the  sun,  and  seem  to  burn  very  well.  In  riding 


Pig.  203.  — Tabako-box. 


Pig.  202.  — Tabako-bon. 


CANDLES  AND  CANDLESTICKS. 


219 


along  tlie  streets  one  often  sees  trays  filled  with  these  black  balls 
exposed  to  the  sun. 

Before  kerosene  oil  was  introduced  into  Japan  the  means  of 
illumination  were  of  the  most  meagre  description.  One  can  hardly 
realize  the  difficulty  a student  must  have  experienced  in  studying 
his  Chinese  Classics  by  the  feeble  light  emitted  from  tiny  wicks, 
or  the  dim  and  unsteady 
flame  of  a vegetable-wax 
candle,  — a light  rendered 
all  the  more  feeble  when 
filtered  through  a paper 
lantern.  It  is  related  that 
in  former  times  devout 
students  of  the  Chinese 
Classics  were  accustomed 
at  night  to  read  a single 
character  at  a time  by 
the  dim  illumination  of  a 
glowing  coal  at  the  end  of  an  incense-stick  held  close  to  the  page  ! 
Of  the  many  things  which  the  Japanese  have  adopted  and 
promptly  utilized  from  Western  nations,  I know  of  nothing  which 
has  been  so  great  a boon  to  all  the  people  as  kerosene  oil.  The 
Western  practice  of  medicine  is  rapidly  displacing  the  empir- 
ical Chinese  practice,  and  this  when  accomplished  will  be,  be- 
yond all  question,  the  greatest  boon.  There  are  many  outlying 
districts,  however,  as  well  as  thousands  of  inhabitants  of  the 
cities,  still  under  the  sway  of  Chinese  methods,  and  the  beneficent 
effects  of  the  rational  treatment  of  disease  has  not  yet  been  widely 
felt ; but  everywhere  throughout  the  Empire  the  bright  light  of 
kerosene  has  lengthened  the  day  for  all. 

Japanese  candles  are  made  of  a vegetable  wax,  having  a wick 
consisting  of  a roll  of  paper,  not  unlike  the  ordinary  paper  lamp- 


Fig.  204.  — Pan  for  holding  burning 
Charcoal. 


220  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

lighter.  This  wick,  being  hollow,  is  fitted  to  a sharp  spur  of  iron 
about  an  inch  long,  in  the  candlestick  (in  England  the  pricket 
candlestick  went  out  of  use  a few  centuries  ago ; in  Japan  it  is 
still  retained).  At  the  top  of  the  candle  the  wick  projects  in  a 
firm,  hard  point.  When  a candle  has  burned  low,  it  is  removed 
from  the  candlestick  and  placed  on  the  end  of  the  new  candle, 
which  is  then  adjusted  on  the  sharp  spur.  By  this  simple  device 
all  the  candle  is  utilized  in  combustion. 

A superior  kind  of  candle,  made  in  the  province  of  Aidsu, 
is  beautifully  painted  in  bright  colors,  with  designs  of  flowers 
and  other  ornamental  subjects. 

Candles  are  depended  upon  to  illuminate  the  rooms,  as  well 
as  to  light  the  hand-lanterns  which  are  carried  about  the  streets, 
and  those  which  are  used  for  the  house,  — these  last  consist- 
ing of  a square  or  hexagonal 
frame,  covered  with  paper  and 
attached  to  the  end  of  a short 
handle. 

A common  form  of  Japanese 
candlestick,  called  te-shoku , is 
Fig.  205.  — Iron  Candlestick.  represented  in  fig.  205.  It  is  a 

rude  affair  made  of  iron,  sup- 
ported on  three  legs,  and  has  a wide  disk  to  prevent  the  melted 
wax  from  dropping  on  the  mats,  and  a ring  about  the  candle  to 
prevent  its  falling  over.  It  is  easily  picked  up  from  the  floor 
by  its  longer  arm. 

Another  common  form  of  candlestick  consists  of  a hemispheri- 
cal base  of  brass,  ten  or  fifteen  inches  in  diameter,  from  which 
a rod  of  the  same  metal  runs  up  to  the  height  of  two  feet  or 
more,  on  the  end  of  which  is  the  usual  cup  and  spur.  Candle- 
sticks of  this  description  are  seen  in  fig.  177  (page  196). 

The  snuffer  is  usually  in  the  form  of  a blunt  pair  of  tweezers, 
with  which  the  burnt  wick  is  removed ; the  servants,  however, 


LAMPS  AND  LANTERNS. 


221 


often  take  the  hibashi,  or  tongs,  and,  removing  the  wick,  thrust 
it  into  the  ashes  of  the  hibachi. 

Candlesticks  of  rustic  design,  manufactured  of  curious  woods, 
are  made  at  Nikko  and  other  famous  resorts,  more  as  mementos 
to  carry  away  than  as  implements  intended  for  actual  use. 

The  Japanese  lamp  is  usually  in  the  form  of  a shallow  saucer, 
in  which  vegetable  oil  is  burned.  The  wick,  consisting  of  long 

slender  rods  of  pith,  is  held  down 
by  a little  ring  of  iron,  to  which 
a spur  is  attached  for  a handle. 
The  unburned  portion  of  the  wick 
projects  beyond  the  saucer,  and 


Fig.  206.  — Lamp.  Fig.  207.  — Lamp. 

as  it  burns  away  at  one  end  is  moved  along.  The  saucer  rests 
in  a disk  or  ring  of  iron,  which  is  suspended  within  a frame 
covered  with  paper.  A common  form  of  this  lamp,  or  anclon, 
is  shown  in  fig.  20G.  It  consists  of  a square  frame  of  wood 
covered  with  paper,  open  above  and  below,  and  having  one  side 


222  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

iii  tlie  shape  of  a movable  lid,  which  can  be  raised  when  the 
lamp  needs  tending.  This  frame  is  secured  to  two  uprights, 
which  spring  from  a wooden  stand  in  which  may  be  a drawer 
containing  extra  wicks  and  a pair  of  snuffers.  These  uprights 
extend  above  the  lantern,  and  have  a cross-piece  by  which  the 

lantern  is  lifted,  and  another 
cross-bar  just  below  from 
which  the  lamp  hangs.  The 
light  from  this  night-lamp 
is  feeble  and  uncertain,  and 
by  it  one  can  barely  see  his 
way  about  the  room. 

There  are  many  kinds  of 
andon,  some  being  very  in- 
genious. One  form  is  cylin- 
drical, being  composed  of 
two  frames,  one  within  the 
other,  — the  outer  frame  re- 
volving in  a groove  in  the 
stand.  One  half  of  each 
lantern  is  covered  with  paper, 
so  that  by  turning  the  outer 
frame  the  openings  are  brought  together,  and  thus  access  is 
gained  to  the  lamp.  Another  form  of  andon  (fig.  207)  opens 
in  a different  way,  with  a little  shelf  in  one  corner  to  hold 
the  saucer  of  oil. 

Still  another  form  (fig.  208)  is  copied  from  an  old  colored  pic- 
ture-book ; this  consists  of  an  elaborate  lacquered  stand  mounted 
in  metal,  with  a lamp  supported  on  the  top. 

In  the  passage-ways,  and  at  the  head  of  stairways,  lamps 
are  often  fixed  to  the  wall.  In  Osaka  I saw  a curious  one, 
which  is  represented  in  fig.  209.  The  frame  was  hung  by 
hinges  to  a board  which  was  affixed  to  the  wall  (the  hinges 


Fig.  208.  — Lamp  and  Lacquered  Stand. 


LAMPS  AND  LANTERNS. 


223 


Fig.  209.  — Wall-lamp. 


being  above),  and  rested  against  the  board  like  a cover,  and  was 
lifted  up  when  the  lamp  needed  attention.  In  an  andon  in 

Osaka,  I saw  a good  bit 
of  iron-work  (fig.  210) 
made  to  suspend  the 
lamp. 

Lamps  made  of  pot- 
tery are  rarely  seen.  Fig. 

211  is  a sketch  of  an  old 
lamp  of  Oribe  ware  from 
the  author’s  collection. 

An  inclined  portion  with- 
in supports  the  wick,  and 
the  cover  is  notched  in 
front  and  behind  to  allow  the  passage  of  the 
wick.  Another  form  from  the  same  collection,  made  in  the 
province  of  Iga,  is  shown  in  fig.  212.  In  this  lamp  the  wick 
must  have  been  made  from  some  fibre  ; a hole  in  the  wick-tube 
is  seen  through  which  the  wick  can  be  moved  along.  The 
handle  of  the  lamp 
has  a slot  in  it,  so 
that  it  may  be  hung 
against  the  wall.  It 
is  possible  that  these 
two  lamps,  or  at  least 
the  last  one,  are  for 
the  kami-dana,  — a 
shelf  which  supports 
the  household  shrine. 

In  connection  with 

lamps  made  of  pottery,  it  may  be  well  to  add  that  now  and  then 
one  meets  with  a pottery  candlestick.  That  shown  in  fig.  213  rep- 
resents one  from  the  author’s  collection,  made  of  Owari  pottery. 


Fig.  211.  — Pottery  Lamp. 


224  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Fiii.  212.  — Pottery  Lamp. 


Near  tlie  chodzu-bachi,  hanging  from  the  edge  of  the  verandah 
roof  above,  is  usually  seen  an  iron  lantern,  generally  a quaint 
old  rusty  affair  suspended  by  a chain,  and,  when  lighted,  admit- 
ting through  the  perforations  in  its  side 
the  faintest  possible  glimmer.  In  figs.  240 
and  253  (pages  255  and  267)  lanterns  of 
this  description  may  be  seen. 

Street-lanterns  are  often  affixed  to 
short  slender  posts  at  the  gateway  or 
doorway  of  a dwelling.  The  usual  form 
of  this  frame  and  lantern  is  represented 
in  fig.  214.  It  is  not  over  five  feet  in 
height,  and  - seems  to  be  a frail, affair  to 
expose  on  a public  street.  The  very 
frailty  and  lightness  of  such  objects, 
however,  often  exposed  as  they  are  with 
entire  safety  on  busy  thoroughfares,  are 
striking  indications  of  the  gentle  man- 
ners of  the  Japanese.  One  is  led  to 
wonder  how  long  such  a delicate  street- 
lamp  would  remain  intact  in  our  streets, 
with  those  mobs  thronging  by  that 
seem  to  be  solely  a product  of  our  civ- 
ilization. These,  and  a thousand  simi- 
lar points  of  contrast,  set  a thoughtful 
man  reflecting  on  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  the  two  great  civilizations. 


In  nearly  every  house  one  sees  perched 

up  on  a shelf  called  the  kami-dana  a 

curious  little  architectural  affair,  which  Fig-  213. — Pottery  Candle- 
stick. 

on  more  special  examination  proves  to 

lie  a model  of  a Shin-to  shrine,  or  a principal  feature  of  a 


HOUSEHOLD  SHRINES. 


225 


Shin-to  altar,  — a circular  mirror.  On  the  shelf  in  front  of 
this  are  a few  lamps  (or  a single  lamp)  and  trays,  containing  at 
times  food-offerings.  If  the  shrine  is  in  the  shape  of  a box, 
then  accompanying  it  are  various  little  brass  stands,  slips  of 
wood  with  characters  written  upon  them,  and  in  short  a minia- 
ture representation,  apparently,  of  the  paraphernalia  used  in  a 
large  temple.  The  shelf  is  high  up  on  the  wall  near  the 
ceiling ; and  in  old  houses  this  region 
is  black  with  the  accumulations  of  smoke 
from  the  little  lamp  which  is  lighted 
every  night,  and  which  may  have  burned 
there  for  a century.  These  are  the 
Shin-to  shrines. 

The  Buddhist  household  shrines,  hav- 
ing a figure  of  Buddha  or  of  one  of 
his  disciples,  or  perhaps  of  some  other 
god,  are  much  more  ornate,  and  rest  on 
the  floor,  — at  least  so  I was  informed. 

My  informant  also  told  me  that  the 
majority  of  the  people  worship  at  the 
shrines  of  both  great  beliefs,  and  that  all 
Buddhists,  unless  very  strict,  have  Shin- 
to shrines  in  their  houses.  Indeed,  214. — Fixed  Street- 

LANTERN. 

Buddhists  and  even  Buddhist  priests 

have  been  known  to  go  into  the  Roman  Catholic  cathedral  at 
Osaka,  and  bow  in  reverence  before  the  altar  and  other  emblems 
of  an  alien  religion.  The  tolerance  and  charity  evinced  in  such 
acts  is  something  pathetic,  when  one  recalls  the  mutually  hostile 
attitude  of  the  two  great  branches  of  the  Christian  Church  ! 

Flowers  and  incense-burning  usually  accompany  the  Buddhist 
household  shrine,  while  before  Shin-to  shrines  incense  is  not 
burned.  Buddhist  shrines  have  placed  before  them  lamps  of 
brass,  or  hanging  lamps,  while  in  front  of  the  Shin-to  shrine 

15 


226  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

candles  of  vegetable  wax  are  burned.  In  unglazed,  hand-made 
pottery  called  kawarake  oil  is  burned,  which  is  also  used  for 
food-offerings.  For  offerings  of  wine,  oval  bottles  of  peculiar 
shape,  with  long  narrow  necks,  are  used ; these  are  called  * tiki- 
dokkuri,  — miki  being  the  name  of  the  wine  offered  to  the  gods,, 
and  tokkuri  the  name  of  a sake  bottle.  In  front  of  these  shrines 
one  may  often  see  the  inmates  of  the  house  bow  their  heads, 
clap  their  hands,  and  then,  rubbing  the  palms  together  in  an 
imploring  gesture,  pray  with  much  earnestness.  So  far  as  I 
have  observed,  every  house  has  this  domestic  altar.  In  shops,. 

too,  one  often  sees  the  shrine  ; and 
in  the  larger  and  more  wealthy 
shops  the  shrine  is  often  a very 
expensive  affair.  In  a famous  silk- 
shop  in  Tokio  is  a large  model  of 
a Shin-to  temple  suspended  by  iron 
rods  from  the  beams  above.  In 
front  of  it  hang  two  big  metal  lan- 
terns. It  struck  me  that  this  dis- 
play of  piety  was  rather  ostentatious,, 
and  paralleled  similar  displays  some- 
times seen  at  home ; in  this  sup- 
Fig.  215. — -Household  Shrine.  position,  however,  I may  be  doing' 

an  injustice.  Among  the  intelligent 
classes  the  household  shrine  seems  to  be  provided  for  the  female 
members  of  the  family  only,  the  men  having  outgrown  these- 
superstitions ; and  it  was  interesting  to  observe  that  in  Japan, 
as  elsewhere,  the  women — being  as  a rule  less  informed  — made- 
up  the  majority  of  those  attending  public  worship. 

The  sketch  here  given  of  a Buddhist  household  shrine  (fig. 
215)  was  seen  in  a house  of  the  most  squalid  character.  The 
various  vessels  were  filled  with  boiled  rice,  with  loaves  of  mochi 
made  of  a special  kind  of  rice,  and  a number  of  unripe  peaches. 


BIRDS'  NESTS  IN  HOUSES. 


227 


On  the  lower  shelf,  in  the  right-hand  corner,  are  seen  a sweet 
potato  and  a radish  propped  up  on  four  legs,  looking  like  toy 
deer  or  beasts  of  some  kind.  Whether  this  indicated  the  work 
of  children  or  represented  the  horses  upon  which  the  gods  could 
take  a ride,  was  not  ascertained. 


A household  shrine  to  which  the  children  pay  voluntary  and 
natural  devotion  are  the  birds’  nests  built  within  the  house.  It 
is  a common  thing,  not  only  in  the  country  but  in  large  cities 
like  Tokio,  for  a species  of  swallow,  hardly  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  European  species,  to  build  its  nest  in  the  house,  — not 
in  an  out-of-the-way  place,  but  in  the  room  where  the  family 
may  be  most  actively  engaged,  or  in  the  shop  fronting  the 

street,  with  all  its  busy 
traffic  going  on.  The 
very  common  occurrence 
of  these  birds’  nests  in 
houses  is  another  of  the 
many  evidences  of  the 
gentle  ways  of  this  peo- 
ple, and  of  the  kind- 
ness shown  by  them  to 
animals. 

When  a bird  builds  its  nest  in  the  house,  a little  shelf  is 
promptly  secured  beneath  it,  so  that  the  mats  below  shall  not 
be  soiled.  The  presence  of  the  bird  in  the  house  is  regarded  as 
a good  omen,  and  the  children  take  great  pleasure  in  watch- 
ing the  construction  of  the  nest  and  the  final  rearing  of  the 
young  birds.  I noticed  that  many  of  the  nests  built  within  the 
house  were  much  more  elaborately  made  than  those  built  in 
more  exposed  positions.  From  the  symmetrical  way  in  which 
many  of  these  were  constructed,  one  might  almost  imagine  the 
birds  had  become  imbued  with  some  of  the  art  instincts  of  the 


228  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


jeople.  Fig.  216  illustrates  tlie  appearance  of  a group  of  these 
Ards’  nests  in  a house. 


It  would  be  an  affectation  of  false  delicacy  were  no  allu- 
sion to  he  made  to  the  privy,  which  in  the  Japanese  house  often 
receives  a share  of  the  artistic  workman’s  attention.  From 
its  position  in  the  house,  and  especially  in  the  public  house, 
it  is  often  a source  of  great  discomfort.  In  the  better  class 
of  private  houses  in  Japan,  however,  there  are  less  annoyance 
and  infinitely  less  danger  from  this  source  than  are  experienced 
in  many  houses  of  the  wealthy  in  our  great  cities.  In  the 
country  the  privy  is  usually  a little  box-like  affair  removed 
from  the  house,  the  entrance  closed  half  way  up  by  a swing- 


ing door.  In  the 
city  house  of  the 
better  class  it  is  at 
one  corner  of  the 
house,  usually  at 
the  end  of  the  ve- 
randah, and  some- 
times there  are  two 
at  diagonal  corners, 
as  a reference  to 
Fig.  217. — - Interior  of  Privy.  the  plans  will  show. 

A curious  supersti- 
tion among  many  is  attached  to  the  position  of  the  privy  in  its 
relation  to  the  house,  — a trace  possibly  of  the  Chinese  Funcj- 
sliui.  The  privy  generally  has  two  compartments,  — the  first 
one  having  a wooden  or  porcelain  urinal ; the  latter  form  being 
called  cisagaowa,  as  it  is  supposed,  to  resemble  tlie  flower  of  the 
morning  glory,  — the  word  literally  meaning  u morning  face  ” 
(fig.  219).  The  wooden  ones  are  often  filled  with  branches  of 
-spruce,  which  are  frequently  replenished.  The  inner  compart- 


PRIVIES. 


229 


Fig.  218.  — Pkivy  of  Inn  in  Hachi-ishi  Village,  Nikko. 


ment  has  a rectangular  opening  cut  in  the  floor,  and  in  the 
better  class  of  privies  this  is  provided  with  a cover  having  a 


230  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


long  wooden  handle.  The  wood-work  about  this  opening  is 
sometimes  lacquered.  Straw  sandals  or  wooden  clogs  are  often 
provided  to  be  worn  in  this  place. 

The  interior  of  these  apartments  is  usually  simple,  though 
sometimes  presenting  marvels  of  cabinet-work.  Much  skill  and 
taste  are  often  displayed  in  the  approaches  and  exterior  finish 
of  these  places. 


Fig.  217  shows  the  interior  of  a common  form  of  privy. 


Fig. 


218  illustrates  the 


Fig.  219.  — Privy  connected  with  a 
Merchant’s  House  in  Asakusa. 

closet  under  the  kitchen  stairs. 


appearance  of  one  in  an  inn  at 
Hachi-ishi,  near  Nikko.  The 
planking  in  the  front  of  the 
sketch  shows  the  verandah ; from 
this,  at  right  angles,  runs  a nar- 
row platform,  having  for  its  bor- 
der the  natural  trunk  of  a tree  ; 
the  corner  of  a little  cupboard  is 
seen  at  the  left ; the  ceiling  is 
composed  of  matting  made  of 
thin  strips  of  wood,  and  below 
is  a dado  of  bamboo.  The  open- 
ing to  the  first  apartment  is 
framed  by  a twisted  grape-vine,, 
while  other  sticks  in  their  nat- 
ural condition  make  up  the 
frame-work.  Beyond  the  arched 
opening  is  another  one  closed 
by  a swinging  door ; and  this 
is  usually  the  only  place  in  the 
house  where  one  finds  a hinged 
door,  except,  perhaps,  on  the  tall 
The  roof  is  covered  thickly  with 


the  diminutive  shingles  already  alluded  to.  Outside  a little 
screen  fence  is  built,  a few  plants  neatly  trained  below,  — and 


PRIVIES. 


231 


a typical  privy  of  the  better  class  is  shown.  The  wooden  trough 
standing  on  four  legs  and  holding  a bucket  of  water  and  a wash- 
basin is  evidently  an  addition  for  the  convenience  of  foreign 
guests.  The  cliodzu-baehi  with  towel  rack  suspended  above,  as 
already  described,  is  the  universal  accompaniment  of  this  place. 

As  one  studies  this  sketch,  made  at  an  inn  in  a country 
village,  let  him  in  all  justice  recall  similar  conveniences  in 
many  of  the  country  villages  of  Christendom  ! 

In  Fig.  219  is  shown  the  privy  of  a merchant  in  Asakusa, 
Tokio.  The  door  was  a beautiful  example  of  cabinet-work, 


with  designs  inlaid  with  wood  of  different  colors.  The  interior 
of  this  place  (fig.  220)  was  also  beautifully  finished  and  serin 
pulously  clean. 

The  receptacle  in  the  privy  consists  of  a half  of  an  oil 
barrel,  or  a large  earthen  vessel,  sunk  in  the  ground,  with 
convenient  access  to  it  from  the  outside.  This  is  emptied 
every  few  days  by  men  who  have  their  regular  routes;  and 
as  an  illustration  of  the  value  of  this  material  for  agricultural 


232  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


purposes,  I was  told  that  in  Hiroshima  in  the  renting  of 
the  poorer  tenement  houses,  if  three  persons  occupied  a room 
together  the  sewage  paid  the  rent  of  one,  and  if  five  occupied 
the  same  room  no  rent  was  charged  ! Indeed,  the  immense 
value  and  importance  of  this  material  is  so  great  to  the  Ja- 
panese farmer,  who  depends  entirely  upon  it  for  the  enrich- 
ment of  his  soil,  that  in  the  country  personal  conveniences  for 
travellers  are  always  arranged  by  the  side  of  the  road,  in  the 
shape  of  buckets  or  half-barrels  sunk  in  the  ground. 

Judging  by  our  standards  of  modesty  in  regard  to  these 
matters  there  would  appear  to  be  no  evidence  of  delicacy  among 
the  Japanese  respecting  them ; or,  to  be  more  just,  perhaps  I 
should  say  that  there  is  among  them  no  affectation  of  false 
modesty,  — a feeling  which  seems  to  have  developed  among  the 
English-speaking  people  more  exclusively,  and  among  some  of 
them  to  such  ridiculous  heights  of  absurdity  as  often  to  be 
fraught  with  grave  consequences.  But  among  the  Japanese  it 
would  seem  as  if  the  publicity  given  by  them  to  the  collect- 
ing of  this  important  fertilizer  had  dulled  all  sensitiveness  on 
their  part,  if  it  ever  existed,  concerning  this  matter.1  Indeed, 
privacy  in  this  matter  would  be  impossible  when  it  is  con- 
sidered that  in  cities  — as  in  Tokio,  for  example  — of  nearly 
a million  of  inhabitants  this  material  is  carried  off  daily  to 
the  farms  outside,  the  vessels  in  which  it  is  conveyed  being 
long  cylindrical  buckets  borne  by  men  and  horses.  If  sensitive 
persons  are  offended  by  these  conditions,  they  must  admit  that 


1 In  this  connection  it  may  he  interesting  to  mention  the  various  names  applied  to 
the  privy  by  the  Japanese,  with  a free  translation  of  the  same  as  given  me  by  Mr.  A.  S. 
Mihara:  Setsu-in,  “snow-hide;”  Chodzu-ba,  “place  to  wash  hands”  (the  chodzu-bachi, 
a convenience  for  washing  the  hands,  being  always  near  the  privy)  ; Benjo  and  Yd-ba, 
“ place  for  business ;”  Ko-ka , “ back-frame.”  Habakari  is  a very  common  name  for  this 
place ; the  word  Yen-riyo,  though  not  applied  to  this  place,  has  the  same  meaning,  — 
it  implies  reserve. 

These  words  with  their  meanings  certainly  indicate  a great  degree  of  refinement  and 
delicacy  in  the  terms  applied  to  the  privy. 


PRIVIES. 


233 


the  secret  of  sewage  disposal  has  been  effectually  solved  by  the 
Japanese  for  centuries,  so  that  nothing  goes  to  waste.  And  of 
ecpial  importance,  too,  is  it  that  of  that  class  of  diseases  which 
scourge  our  communities  as  a result  of  our  ineffectual  efforts 
in  disposing  of  sewage,  the  Japanese  happily  know  but  little. 
In  that  country  there  are  no  deep  vaults  with  long  accumu- 
lations contaminating  the  ground,  or  underground  pipes  con- 
ducting sew'age  to  shallow  bays  and  inlets,  there  to  fester  and 
vitiate  the  air  and  spread  sickness  and  death. 

On  the  other  hand  it  must  be  admitted  that  their  water 
supply  is  very  seriously  affected  by  this  sewage  being  washed 
into  rivers  and  wells  from  the  rice-fields  where  it  is  deposited ; 
and  the  scourge  of  cholera,  which  almost  yearly  spreads  its 
desolating  shadow  over  many  of  their  southern  towns,  is  due 
to  the  almost  universal  cultivation  of  the  land  by  irrigation 
methods ; and  the  consequent  distribution  of  sewage  through 
these  surface  avenues  renders  it  impossible  to  protect  the  water 
supply  from  contamination. 


CHAPTER  Y. 


ENTRANCES  AND  APPROACHES. 

Vestibule  and  Hall. — Verandah  and  Balcony.  — Amado.  — To-bukuro.  — Ciiodzij. 

bachi.  — Gateways.  — Pences. 

J N tlie  study  of  the  house-architecture  of  Japan,  as  compared 
with  that  of  America,  it  is  curious  to  observe  the  relative 
degree  of  importance  given  to  similar  features  by  the  two  peoples. 
With  us  the  commonest  house  in  the  city  or  country  will  have  a 
definite  front-door,  and  almost  always  one  with  some  embellish- 
ments, in  the  shape  of  heavy  panels,  ornate  brackets  and  braces 
supporting  some  sort  of  a covering  above,  and  steps  approach- 
ing it  equally  pretentious  ; in  the  ordinary  Japanese  house,  on 
the  contrary,  this  entrance  is,  as  we  shall  see,  often,  though  not 
always,  of  the  most  indefinite  character.  With  us,  again,  the 
hall  or  front-entry  stairs  may  be  seen  immediately  on  entering  the 
house, — and  this  portion  has  some  display  in  the  baluster  and 
gracefully  curving  rail,  and  in  the  better  class  of  houses  receives 
special  attention  from  the  architect ; in  Japan,  however,  if  the 
house  be  of  two  stories  the  stairway  is  never  in  sight,  and  is 
rarely  more  than  a stout  and  precipitous  step-ladder.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  ridge  of  the  roof,  which  in  Japan  almost  invari- 
ably forms  the  most  picturesque  feature  of  the  house  exterior, 
is  with  us  nothing  more  than  the  line  of  junction  of  the  plainest 
rain-shed ; though  in  great  edifices  feeble  attempts  have  been 
made  to  decorate  this  lofty  and  conspicuous  line  by  an  inverted 
cast-iron  design,  which  is  not  only  absolutely  useless  as  a struc- 
tural feature,  but,  so  far  as  the  design  is  concerned,  might  be 


ENTRANCES. 


equally  appropriate  for  the  edge  of  a tawdry  valentine  or  the 
ornamental  fringe  which  comes  in  a Malaga  raisin-box. 

Accustomed  as  we  are,  then,  to  a front-door  with  steps  and 
rail  and  a certain  pretentious  architectural  display,  it  is  difficult 
to  conceive  of  a house  without  some  such  distinctive  characters 
to  its  portal.  In  the  ordinary  Japanese  house,  however,  we 
often  look  in  vain  for  such  indications.  In  the  common  class  of 
their  houses,  and  even  in  those  of  more  importance,  the  entrance 
is  often  vaguely  defined  ; one  may  enter  the  house  by  way  of 
the  garden  and  make  his  salutations  on  the  verandah,  or  he 
may  pass  into  the  house  by  an  ill-defined  boundary  near  the 
kitchen,  — a sort  of  back-door  on  the  front  side.  In  other 
houses  this  entrance  is  by  means  of  a small  matted  area, 
which  differs  in  no  respect  from  the  other  rooms  save  that 
the  outer  edge  of  its  raised  floor  is  some  distance  within  the 
eaves,  and  between  this  and  the  sill  the  floor  is  mother  earth. 
One  or  two  steps,  consisting  of  single  planks  running  the  width 
of  the  room,  lead  from  the  earth  to  the  floor.  The  roof  at 
this  point  may  be  a gable,  as  more  specially  marking  the  en- 
trance. These  indefinite  entrances,  however,  belong  only  to  the 
houses  of  what  may  be  called  the  middle  and  lower  classes, 
though  even  in  houses  of  the  middle  classes  well-marked  en- 
trances, and  even  entrances  of  some  pretensions,  are  not  uncom- 
mon. Some  may  be  inclined  to  doubt  the  statement  that  in 
the  ordinary  houses  the  entrance  is  often  more  or  less  vaguely 
defined.  As  a curious  proof  of  this,  however,  I have  in  my 
possession  Japanese  architects’  plans  of  two  houses,  consisting 
of  a number  of  rooms,  and  representing  dwellings  far  above  the 
ordinary  type ; and  though  I have  consulted  a number  of  Japan- 
ese friends  in  regard  to  these  plans,  none  of  them  have  been  able 
to  tell  me  where  the  main  entrance  is,  or  ought  to  be ! 

In  a better  class  of  houses  the  entrance  is  in  the  form  of 
a.  wide  projecting  porch,  with  special  gable  roof,  having  elabo- 


236  JAPANESE  HOMES  ANIJ  TIIEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

rately  carved  wood-work  about  its  front,  the  opening  being  as 
wide  as  the  porch  itself.  The  floor  consists  of  wide  planks 
running  at  right  angles  with  the  sill,  which  is  grooved  to  accom- 
modate the  amado , or  storm-doors.  From  this  floor  one  reaches 
the  floor  beyond  by  means  of  one  or  two  steps,  — the  edge  of 


Pig.  221.  — Main  Enthance  to  House. 


the  floor  near  the  steps  being  grooved  to  accommodate  the  slioji. 
The  back  partition  of  this  hall  is  a permanent  one.  On  either 
side  sliding  screens  lead  to  the  rooms  within.  A dado  of  wood 
runs  about  the  sides  of  the  vestibule,  while  the  wall  above  is 
plastered.  A low  screen,  called  a tsui-tate,  is  usually  the  sole 
ornament  of  the  hall ; and  in  olden  times  there  hung  on  the 
wall  behind  the  tsui-tate  curious  long-handled  weapons,  which 
now  are  seen  only  as  museum  specimens.  This  screen  has  no 


VESTIBULE  AND  HALL. 


23  r 


folds ; tlie  frame  is  thick  and  lacquered,  and  the  transverse 
feet  are  ponderous  and  also  lacquered. 

In  some  houses  the  floor  of  the  hall,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
vestibule,  is  composed  of  plank;  and  the  polish  of  the  steps 


Fig.  222.  — Plan  of  Vestibule  and  Hall. 

and  floor  is  of  such  exquisite  ivory  smoothness  that  the  deco* 
rated  screen  and  fusuma  are  reflected  as  from  a shaded  and 
quiet  expanse  of  water.  Even  here  no  special  display  is  made- 
beyond  the  porch-like  projection  and  gable  roof  of  the  external 
boundaries  of  this  entrance. 


238  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

It  would  seem  as  if  the  fitting  architecture  of  this  important 
portal  had  been  transferred  to  the  gateway, — ponderous  hinged- 
doors,  bolts,  bars,  and  all ; for  in  the  gateways  a conspicuous, 
though  oftentimes  fictitious,  solidity  is  shown  in  the  canopy  of 
beams  and  tiles,  supported  by  equally  massive  posts. 


Fig.  223.  — Shoe-closet. 


In  fm.  221  is  shown  a view  of  the  entrance  to  the  house 

o 

figured  on  pages  54  and  55. ' It  is  the  house  of  a samurai , 
.and  is  a fair  example  of  the  entrance  to  the  house  of  a gentle- 
man in  ordinary  circumstances.  On  the  left  of  the  entrance 
is  a plastered  partition  separating  the  hall  from  the  kitchen. 


VESTIBULE  AND  HALL. 


239 


On  the  right  is  a small  room  separated  from  the  vestibule  by 
.shoji,  not  fusuma.  This  may  be  considered  a waiting-room, 
where  parties  on  business  are  shown ; a servant  usually  waits 
here  to  attend  callers.  Directly  beyond,  one  enters  a suite  of 
rooms  which  border  the  garden  at  the  back  of  the  house.  At 
the  immediate  entrance  is  a sill ; over  this  sill  one  steps  upon 
the  earth  floor. 

The  sill  is  grooved  to  accommodate  the  amado,  which  are 
put  in  place  when  the  house  is  closed  for  the  night.  When 
a house  has  a definite  entrance  like  this,  there  are  usually  con- 
veniences for  stowing  away  travelling  gear,  — such  as  umbrellas, 
lanterns,  and  wooden  clogs.  For  example,  in  ordinary  houses, 
for  the  sake  of  economy  in  space,  a portion  of  the  raised  floor 
-of  the  vestibule  consists  of  movable  planks,  which  may  be  lifted 
up,  revealing  a space  beneath  sufficiently  ample  to  accommodate 
these  articles. 

The  plan  here  given  (fig.  222)  shows  a hall  often  seen  in  the 
better  class  of  houses.  The  area  between  the  entrance  and  the 
shoji  projects  as  a porch  from  the  side  of  the  house,  the  tliree- 
matted  area  coming  within  the  house  proper.  The  lettering  on 
the  plan  clearly  explains  the  various  parts. 

In  a narrow  hall  in  an  old  house  near  Uyeno,  in  Tokio,  I got 
the  accompanying  sketch  of  a shoe-closet  (fig.  223).  The  briefest 
examination  of  the  various  clogs  it  contained  revealed  the  same 
idiosyncrasies  of  walking  as  with  us,  — some  were  down  at  the 
heel,  others  were  worn  at  the  sides.  There  were  clogs  of  many 
sizes  and  kinds,  — common  clogs  of  the  school-children,  with  the 
dried  mud  of  the  street  still  clinging  to  them,  and  the  best  clogs 
with  lacquered  sides  and  finely-matted  soles.  At  one  side  hung 
a set  of  shoe-cords  ready  for  emergency. 

In  another  house,  just  within  the  vestibule,  I noticed  a shelf- 
rack  above  the  fusuma,  designed  for  holding  the  family  lanterns 
(fig.  224).  It  may  as  well  be  stated  here,  — a fact  which  is  prob- 


240  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


ably  well  known  to  most  of  our  readers, — tliat  the  Japanese 
almost  invariably  carry  lighted  lanterns  when  they  walk  out  at 
night.  Upon  the  outside  of  these  lanterns  is  painted  the  crest,  or 
mon,  of  the  family,  or  the  name  of  the  house : a man  with  an 
eye  to  business  may  advertise  it  on  his  lantern  by  some  quaint 


design.  So  persistent  is  this  habit  of  carrying  lanterns,  .that  on 
bright  moonlight  nights  the  lantern  is  brought  into  requisition  \ 
and  nothing  strikes  a foreigner  as  so  ludicrous  as  the  sight 
of  a number  of  firemen  on  the  top  of  a burning  building, 
holding  lighted  lanterns  in  their  hands ! The  lanterns  fold  up 
into  a small  compass ; and  on  the  lantern-shelf  which  we  have 
shown  were  a number  of  thick  pasteboard  boxes  in  which  were 


VERANDAH  AND  BALCONY. 


241 


stowed  away  the  lanterns.  On  each  box  was  painted  a design 
corresponding  to  the  design  of  the  lantern  within.  In  this  case 
the  name  of  the  family,  or  the  crest,  was  indicated. 

In  this  vestibule  the  fusuma,  instead  of  being  covered  with 
thick  paper,  consisted  of  panels  of  dark  cedar.  The  effect  was 
very  rich. 

In  the  houses  of  the  Dai- 
mios  the  entrance  is  always 
grandly  marked  by  a special 
roof,  and  by  a massive  struct- 
ure of  carved  beams  supporting 
it,  — brilliantly  colored  often- 
times, and  the  surroundings  in 
keeping  with  the  dignity  of  this 
important  region. 

The  doorways  of  shops  and 
inns,  when  they  definitely  oc- 
cur, are  large  square  openings 
stoutly  but  neatly  barred,  — 
and  permanently  too,  a portion 
of  it  being  made  to  roll  back. 

The  sill  of  such  an  opening  is 
some  little  distance  from  the  ground,  and  one  on  entering  steps 
over  this  sill  to  an  earth  floor  within,  called  the  clo-mci.  Here 
the  wooden  clogs  are  left  as  he  steps  upon  the  raised  floor. 
Tig.  225  illustrates  the  appearance  of  this  doorway. 

The  verandah  is  an  essential  part  of  the  Japanese  house.  The 
word  itself  is  of  Oriental  origin,  and  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  an 
Oriental  house  of  any  pretensions  without  a verandah  of  some 
kind.  In  the  Japanese  house  it  is  almost  a continuation  of  the 
floor  of  the  room,  being  but  slightly  below  its  level.  The  verandah 
is  something  more  than  a luxury  ; it  is  a necessity  arising  from  the 


Tig.  225.  — Grated  Entrance,  with 
Sliding  Door. 


16 


242  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


peculiar  construction  of  the  house.  The  shoji,  with  their  delicate 
frames  and  white  paper-coverings,  which  take  the  place  of  our 
glass  windows  in  admitting  light  to  the  room,  are  from  their 
very  nature  easily  injured  by  the  rain ; the  edge  of  the  room 
therefore,  where  these  run,  must  come  a few  feet  within  the  eaves 
of  the  roof,  or  of  any  additional  rain-shed  which  may  be  built 
above  the  shoji.  At  this  line,  therefore,  the  matted  floor  ceases, 
and  a plank  floor  of  varying  width  continues  beyond,  upon  the 
outer  edge  of  which  is  a single  groove  to  accommodate  another 
set  of  screens  made  of  wood.  These  are  called  the  amado,  liter- 
ally “ rain-door,”  and  at  night  and  during  driving  storms  they 
are  closed.  At  times,  however,  the  rain  may  beat  in  between 
the  amado  ; but  though  wetting  the  verandah,  it  rarely  reaches, 
the  shoji. 

In  ordinary  houses  the  verandah  has  no  outer  rail,  though 
in  the  houses  of  the  nobility  a rail  is  often  present.  The 
width  of  the  verandah  varies  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
house.  In  some  of  the  temples  the  verandah  floor  may  be  ten 
feet  or  more  in  width,  and  thickly  lacquered,  as  in  some  of  the 
Nikko  temples.  In  common  houses  this  area  may  be  three  or 
four  feet  in  width.  A reference  to  the  plans  (figs.  97  and  98  ; 
pages  113,  116),  and  also  to  the  vertical  section  (fig.  103  ; page 
126),  will  give  a clear  idea  of  this  platform  and  its  relation  to 
the  house.  There  are  various  ways  of  treating  this  feature ; it 
is  always  supported  on  wooden  posts,  rough  or  hewn,  which, 
like  the  uprights  of  the  house,  rest  on  single  stones  partly 
buried  in  the  ground.  The  space  between  the  edge  of  the  ve- 
randah and  the  ground  is  almost  invariably  left  open,  as  will 
be  seen  by  reference  to  figs.  37,  48,  49,  50,  and  95  (pages  55, 
66,  68,  70,  106),  though  in  Kioto  houses  it  is  sometimes  filled 
up  by  simple  boarding  or  panelling ; and  here  and  there  are  one 
or  more  panels  which  run  back  and  forth  in  grooves,  so  that  one 
can  go  beneath  the  house  if  necessary.  The  planks  composing 


VERANDAH  AND  BALCONY. 


24$ 


the  floor  of  the  verandah  may  be  narrow  or  wide ; usually  how- 
ever they  are  quite  narrow,  and  run  parallel  with  the  edge  of  the 
verandah,  though  in  some  cases  they  are  wide  planks  running 
at  right  angles.  When  this  platform  turns  a corner,  the  ends 
of  the  planks  may  be  mitred  (as  in  fig.  226,  A),  or  square  (as  in 
fig.  226,  B),  in  which  latter  case  the  ends  project  beyond  each 
other  alternately.  Sometimes  the  floor  is  made  up  of  narrow 
strips  of  thick  plank  with  the  edges  deeply  chamfered  or  rounded 
(fig.  226,  C).  In  this  style  a considerable  space  is  left  between 
the  planks.  The  effect  of  this  treatment  is  looked  upon  as 
rustic  and  picturesque,  but  is  certainly  not  so  pleasant  to  walk 
upon.  In  such  a form  of  verandah  the  amado  runs  in  a groove 
in  close  proximity  to  the  shoji. 

The  verandah  varies  consider- 
ably in  its  height  from  the  ground  ; 
more  often  it  is  so  lowr  that  one 
sitting  on  its  edge  may  rest  his  feet 
comfortably  on  the  ground.  In 
this  case  a single  wide  block,  either 
of  stone  or  wood,  forms  the  step. 

When  the  verandah  is  at  a greater 
height  from  the  ground,  perma- 
nent or  adjustable  steps,  two  or 
three  in  number,  are  placed  in 
position.  A common  form  of  ve- 
randah-step is  shown  in  fig.  179 
(page  199).  A very  good  type  of 
verandah  sketched  from  an  old 
house  in  Kioto  is  shown  in  fig. 

227.  The  manner  in  which  the 

uprights  support  the  broad  over-hanging  eaves,  the  appearance 
of  the  supplementary  roof  called  hisashi,  the  shoji  as  they  are 
seen,  some  closed  and  some  open,  disclosing  the  rooms  within.. 


B 


C 


Fig.  226.  — Verandah  Floor. 


244  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


and  other  details  which  will  presently  be  described,  are  well 
shown  in  this  figure. 

Rooms  in  the  second  story  also  open  upon  a balcony,  the 
platform  of  which  is  generally  much  narrower  than  the  one 
below.  This  balcony  has  of  necessity  a rail  or  balustrade ; 
and  here  much  good  artistic  work  is  displayed  in  design  and 
finish,  with  simple  and  economical  devices,  apparent  as  in  so 


Fig.  227.  — Verahdah  of  ah  old  Kioto  House. 


many  other  features  of  the  house.  This  structure,  with  a firm 
hand-rail  above,  has  the  interspaces  between  the  posts  which 
support  it  filled  with  many  quaint  and  curious  devices,  either 
of  lattice,  bamboo,  or  panels  with  perforated  designs.  Gene- 
rally a narrow  bar  runs  from  post  to  post  close  to  the  platform, 
so  that  any  object  dropped  may  not  roll  out ; between  the  end 
posts  of  the  rail  this  piece  is  often  removable,  to  allow  dust  and 
dirt  to  be  more  easily  swept  away.  (In  fig.  228  the  piece  marked 
A is  removable). 


VERANDAH  AND  BALCONY. 


245 


Fig.  229  represents  a panel  from  a balustrade  in  Matsu- 
shima. In  this  the  design  of  bamboo  was  cut  through,  pro- 
ducing a very  light  and  pretty  effect.  Fig.  230  shows  another 
panel  from  a balustrade  in  Fujisawa ; a perforated  design  of 
dragons  in  various  attitudes 
ornamented  each  panel,  which 
was  held  in  place  by  a frame 
composed  of  round  sticks  of 
the  red  pine. 

It  seems  surprising  that 
our  architects  do  not  oftener 
employ  this  method  of  per- 
foration in  their  ornamental 
work,  — the  designs  can  be 
so  clearly  and  sharply  cut,  while  the  dark  shade  of  the  room 
or  space  beyond  gives  a depth  of  color  to  the  design,  which  is 
at  the  same  time  permanent.  With  the  Japanese  this  method 
of  ornamentation  is  a favorite  one  both  for  outside  and  inside 
finish,  and  they  have  shown  great  ingenuity  and  originality  in 
the  infinite  variety  of  designs  for  this  mode  of  treatment. 
Nothing  seems  too  difficult  for  them  to  attempt,  — flying  birds, 
swimming  fishes,  dashing  waves  and  the  rising  sun,  flowers  and 
butterflies ; indeed,  the  whole  range  of  pictorial  design  has  offered 

no  difficulties  to  them. 
In  their  jjrocess  of  fig- 
uring cloths  and  crape, 
stencil-plates  of  thick 
paper  are  employed,  and 
in  the  printing  of  wall- 

Fig.  229.  — Balcony  Bail  and  Perforated  Panels,  paper  the  same  methods 

are  resorted  to. 

In  a balcony  rail  (fig.  231)  a most  delicate  device  was  made 
by  using  for  a middle  rail  a small  bamboo,  directly  beneath 


24G  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THE  PR  SURROUNDINGS. 


which  was  another  rail  composed  of  a.  longitudinal  section  oi 
the  middle  of  a large  bamboo ; such  a section  included  the 
transverse  partitions  of  the  bamboo  as  well.  This  process  is 
often  resorted  to  in  the  construction  of  the  frame-work  of  deli- 
cate shoji,  but  it  is  rare  to  see  it  used  in  a balustrade.  The 

effect  is  exceedingly  refined 
and  delicate ; and  one  real- 
izes that  in  a country  where 
such  fragile  tracery  is  incor 
porated  in  such  an  ex 
structure,  there  must  be  an 

absence  of  the  rough,  boiste- 
Iig.  230. — Balcony  Bail.  _ . 

rous  children  with  whom  we 
are  familiar,  and  who  in  a short  time  would  be  as  disastrous 
to  a Japanese  house  as  a violent  earthquake  and  typhoon  com- 
bined. One  further  realizes  that  in  that  country  men  must 
keep  their  feet  where  they  properly  belong. 

The  balustrade  is  often  made  very  solid  and  substantial,  as 
may  be  seen  in  fig.  232,  sketched  from  the  house  of  a cele- 


brated potter  in  Kioto.  The  posts  had  metal  tops,  and  at  in- 
tervals along  the  upper  rail  metal  plates  were  fixed. 

Transient  guests  are  often  received  on  the  verandah ; to 
which  place  the  hibachi,  tabako-bon,  and  tea  and  cake  are 


AMADO. 


247 


brought.  In  summer  evenings  it  is  much  cooler  here  than  on 
the  matted  floor  within,  and  with  the  garden  in  view  forms  a 
pleasant  place  for  recreation.  Flower-pots  are  sometimes  placed 
along  its  edge ; children  play  upon  it ; and  in  a long  suite  of 
rooms  it  forms  a convenient  thoroughfare  from  one  apartment 
to  another.  It  is  often  the  only  means  of  reaching  a room  at 
one  end  of  the  house,  unless  by  passing  through  other  rooms, 


as  in  many  cases  there  are  no  interior  passage-ways,  or  corri- 
dors, as  with  us.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  verandah  is 
kept  scrupulously  clean,  and  its  wooden  floor  is  often  polished.1 

The  am  ado,  or  rain-doors,  by  which  the  verandah  is  closed 
at  night  and  during  stormy  weather,  are  in  the  form  of  light 
wooden  screens  about  the  size  of  the  shoji.  These  are  made 


1 The  ordinary  form  of  verandah  is  called  yen , or  yen-gawa.  In  Kishiu  it  is  called 
simply  yen , while  in  Tokio  it  is  called  yen-gawa.  A low  platform  is  called  an  ochi-yen  ; 
a platform  that  can  he  raised  or  lowered  is  called  an  age-yen.  When  the  platform  has  no 
groove  for  the  rain-doors  on  the  outer  edge,  it  is  called  a nuri-yen,  — nuri  meaning  wet, 
the  rain  in  this  case  beating  in  and  wetting  the  verandah.  A little  platform  made  of 
bamboo,  which  may  be  used  as  a shelf  for  plants,  is  called  sunoJco. 


248  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


of  thin  boards  held  together  by  a light  frame-work  having  a 
few  transverse  bars.  The  amaclo  run  in  a single  groove  on  the 
outer  edge  of  the  verandah  ; at  night  the  house  is  effectually 
closed  by  these  shutters,  and  during  hot  summer  nights  the  apart- 
ments become  almost  stifling.  In  many  houses,  however,  provi- 
sion is  made  for  ventilation  in  the  shape  of  long,  narrow  openings 
just  above  the  amado.  Panels  are  made  to  fit  into  these  open- 
ings, so  that  in  winter  the  cold  to  some  extent  may  be  kept 
out.  On  unusually  stormy  days  and  during  the  prevalence  of 
a typhoon,  the  house  closed  in  this  way  is  dark  and  gloomy 
enough. 

These  shutters  are  the  noisy  features  of  a Japanese  house. 
Within  are  no  slamming  doors  or  rattling  latches ; one  ad- 
mires the  quiet  and  noiseless  way  in  which  the  fusuma  are 
gently  pushed  back  and  forth ; and  the  soft  mats  yielding  to 
the  pressure  of  still  softer  feet,  as  the  inmates  like  cats  step 
lightly  about,  are  soothing  conditions  to  overstrained  nerves, 
and  one  cannot  help  contrasting  them  with  the  clatter  of 
heavy  boots  on  our  wood  floors,  or  the  clouds  of  filthy  dust 
kicked  out  of  our  carpets  in  any  rough  play  of  children.  All 
these  miseries  are  happily  avoided  in  a Japanese  house.  Truth 
compels  me  to  say,  however,  that  in  the  morning  you  are 
roughly  awakened  by  the  servants  pushing  back  into  their 
appropriate  recesses  these  outer  wooden  screens ; and  this  act 
is  usually  noisy  enough.  In  public  houses  this  performance 
takes  the  place  of  clanging  bell  or  tympanum -bursting  gong 
(a  Chinese  instrument  of  torture  which  our  people  seem  to  take 
peculiar  delight  in) ; for  not  only  the  rattling  bang  of  these 
resonant  shutters,  but  the  bright  glare  of  daylight  where  be- 
fore you  had  been  immersed  in  darkness,  assails  you  with  a 
sudden  and  painful  shock. 

The  Japanese  have  a number  of  curious  devices  by  which  to 
lock  or  bolt  these  shutters.  So  far  as  I know,  the  only  night- 


AMADO. 


249 


lock  tlie  house  possesses  is  attached  to  them.  So  feeble  are  these 
devices  that  they  would  hardly  withstand  the  attack  of  a tooth- 
pick in  the  hands  of  a sneak-thief.  To  a Japanese  our  houses 
must  appear  like  veritable  prisons  with  locks,  bolts,  and  auto- 
matic catches  at  every  opening,  — the  front  door  with  such 
mysterious  devices  that  it  is  cpiite  as  impregnable  from  within 
as  from  without.  What  a land  of  thieves  lie  must  think 
himself  in  when  he  finds  door-mats,  door-scrapers,  fountain- 
dippers,  thermometers,  etc.,  chained,  screwed,  or  bolted  to  the 


Fig.  233.  — Rain-door  Lock  unbolted.  Fig.  234.  — Rain-door  Lock  bolted. 

house ! The  simplest  device  for  locking  a sliding  door,  or 
amado,  is  by  means  of  a ring  fastened  to  the  post  by  the  side 
of  which  the  amaclo  comes.  In  the  frame  of  the  amado  is  a 
little  loop  of  iron ; the  ring  is  pushed  over  the  loop,  and 
a wooden  pin  holds  it  in  place.  Another  form  of  lock  con- 
sists of  an  upright  bolt  of  wood  that  passes  through  the  upper 
frame  of  the  amado  as  well  as  through  a transverse  bar  just 
below.  This  bolt  being  pushed  up  is  held  in  place  by  another 
piece  of  wood,  which  slides  along  in  such  a way  as  to  pre- 
vent the  bolt  from  dropping  back.  A reference,  however,  to 


250  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


the  sketches  (figs.  233,  234)  will  better  explain  the  working 
of  this  ingenious  device.  Sometimes  a simple  wooden  pin  is 
used  to  hold  the  last  amado  in  place.  All  these  various  de- 
vices are  on  the  last  amado ; as  when  this  is  locked,  all  the 
others  are  secured. 

In  old  houses  round-headed  iron  knobs  (fig  235)  will  be 
noticed  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  groove  in  which  the  amado 
run.  These  are  placed  at  intervals  corresponding  to  the  num- 
ber of  amado,  and  are  to  prevent  the  amado  from  being  lifted 


out  of  the  groove  from  the  outside  and  thus  removed.  This 
device  is  rarely  seen  nowadays. 

In  the  second  story  the  to-bukuro  may  be  on  a side  of  the 
house  which  runs  at  right  angles  with  the  balcony.  As  the 
amado  are  pushed  along  one  after  the  other,  it  is  necessary  to 
turn  them  around  the  corner  of  the  balcony,  outside  the  corner 
post.  To  prevent  them  from  slipping  off  the  corner  as  they  turn 
the  post,  a little  iron  roller  is  secured  to  the  corner  of  the  balcony; 
the  amado  is  pushed  by  it  part  way,  and  then  swung  around  into 
the  other  groove.  A reference  to  the  sketch  (fig.  236)  shows 
the  position  of  this  roller,  and  two  forms  of  it.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  there  is  no  groove  at  this  point,  so  that  the  amado 
may  be  turned  without  lifting  them. 

In  the  amado  which  close  the  entrance  to  the  house,  the 
end  one  contains  a little  scpiare  door  called  a kuguri-do ; this 


TO-BUIiURO. 


251 


may  slide  back  and  forth,  or  may  swing  upon  hinges.  It  is 
used  as  an  entrance  after  the  house  is  closed  for  the  night. 
It  is  also  called  an  earthquake-door,  as  through  it  the  inmates 
may  easily  and  quickly  find  egress,  at  times  of  sudden  emer- 
gency, without  the  necessity  of  removing  the  amado. 

Not  only  the  verandah  but  the  entrance  to  the  house,  as 
well  as  the  windows  when  they  occur,  are  closed  at  night  by 
■amado.  In  the  day- 
time these  shutters 
are  stowed  away  in 
closets  called  to-buku- 
ro.  These  closets  are 
placed  at  one  side  of 
the  opening  or  place 
to  be  closed,  and  just 
outside  the  groove  in 
which  the  shutters  are 
to  run.  They  have 
only  the  width  of  one 
shutter,  but  are  deep 
enough  to  accommo- 
date the  number  that 

-.  , Eig.  236.  — Corner— roller  for  'Ratn-door. 

is  required  to  close  any 

one  entrance.  By  reference  to  the  plans  (figs.  97  and  98  ; pages 
113,  116)  the  position  of  these  closets  maybe  seen;  and  in  the 
views  of  the  houses  already  given,  notably  in  figs.  35,  38,  49  and 
50  (pages  53,  56,  68,  and  70),  they  may  be  seen  at  the  ends  of 
the  verandahs,  balconies,  entrances,  and  windows. 

In  an  ordinary  house  the  to-bukuro  is  made  of  thin  boards,  and 
has  the  appearance  of  a shallow  box  secured  to  the  side  of  the 
house.  In  large  inns  the  front  of  the  to-bukuro  is  often  com- 
posed of  a single  richly-grained  plank.  The  closet  has  a notch 


252  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THE  Hi  SURROUNDINGS. 

on  the  side,  so  that  the  hand  may  grasp  the  edge  of  each 
amado  in  turn,  as  it  is  drawn  toward  the  groove  in  which  it 
runs.  A servant  will  stand  at  the  to-bukuTO  and  rapidly  remove 
the  amado  one  after  the  other,  pushing  them  along  the  groove 
like  a train  of  cars. 

The  to-hukuro  is  almost 
always  a fixture  on  the 
side  of  the  house  ; some- 
times, however,  it  has 
to  come  on  the  verandah 
in  such  a position  that 
if  it  were  permanent  it 
would  obstruct  the  light. 
In  such  a case  it  is  ar- 
ranged on  pivots,  so  that 
after  the  amado  are 
stowed  away  for  the  day, 
it  may  be  swung  at  right 
angles  away  from  the 
verandah,  and  against  the 
side  of  some  porch  or  ad- 
dition. This  form  of  swinging  to-bukuro  is  presented  in  the 
above  sketch  (fig.  237). 

A curious  evidence  of  the  cleanly  habits  of  the  Japanese  is  seen 
in  the  chodzu-bachi , a receptacle  for  water  at  the  end  of  the  veran- 
dah near  the  latrine.  This  convenience  is.  solely  for  the  purpose 
of  washing  the  hands.  This  receptacle,  if  of  bronze  or  pottery, 
rests  on  a stand  or  post  of  some  kind,  which  rises  from  the  ground 
near  the  edge  of  the  verandah.  Its  importance  is  shown  by  the 
ornamental  features  often  displayed  in  its  structure  and  surround- 
ings. In  its  simplest  form  it  consists  of  a wooden  bucket  sus- 
pended by  a bamboo  which  hangs  from  the  eaves  of  the  verandah 


Fig.  237.  —Verandah  showing  Swinging  Closet 
eor  Rain-doors,  and  also  Chodzu-baciii. 


CHODZ  U-BA  CHI. 


25a 


roof  above.  To  this  bamboo  hangs  the  dipper  also  (fig.  238). 
A towel-rack  usually  hangs  near  by.  A more  common  form  of 
chodzu-bachi  consists  of  a vessel  of  bronze,  pottery,  or  porcelain, 
supported  by  a post  fixed  firmly  in  the  ground,  around  the  base  of 
which  is  strewn  a number  of  beach-worn  pebbles,  intermingled  with 
larger  stones;  so  that  in  washing  the  hands  (which  is  always  done 
by  dipping  the  water  from  the  vessel  and  pouring  it  on  the  hands) 
the  water  spilled  finds  its  way  through  the  pebbles,  and  thus  an 
unsightly  puddle  of  water  is  avoided.  In  simple  forms  of  chodzu- 
baclii,  such  as  the  one  shown  in  fig.  49  (page  68), 
the  pebbles  are  enclosed  in  a frame  of  tiles  fixed 
in  the  ground  edgewise,  this  frame  being  some- 
times triangular  and  sometimes  circular  in  form. 

For  a support  to  these  vessels  the  quaintest 
devices  come  into  play  : it  may  be  the  trunk  of 
a tree,  from  one  side  of  which  a branch  springs, 
covered  with  leaves  and  blossoms ; or  it  may  be 
the  end  of  a carved  post  from  some  old  building, 
as  shown  in  fig.  237.  A favorite  support  consists 
of  a rudder-post  from  some  old  shipwreck,  as 
shown  in  fig.  239,  at  a gentleman’s  house  in 
the  suburbs  of  Tokio.  Usually  the  vessel  is  of 
bronze ; and  one  often  notices  rare  old  forms 
used  for  this  purpose,  covered  with  a rich  patina. 

Oftentimes  water  is  conducted  by  a bamboo  pipe, 
to  fall  in  a continuous  stream  among  the  pebbles. 

Many  forms  of  chodzu-bachi  are  in  the  shape  of  ponderous, 
thick  blocks  of  stone,  with  a depression  on  the  top  to  hold  the 
water.  Of  the  stone  forms  there  is  an  infinite  variety : it  may 
be  a rough-hewn  stone,  or  a square  post,  or  an  arch  of  stone, 
with  a depression  for  water  at  the  crown  of  the  arch  ; indeed, 
the  oddest  conceits  are  shown  in  the  designs  for  this  purpose. 
The  usual  form,  however,  is  cylindrical  (fig.  240) ; the  stone 


Fig.  238. 
Chodzu-bachi. 


254  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

may  be  wrought  in  the  shape  of  an  urn  (fig.  241).  Whatevei 
the  form,  however,  they  are  generally  monoliths. 

Usually  the  stone  chodzu-bachi  has  a little  wooden  frame-work 
with  roof  resting  on  the  top,  to  keep  dead  leaves  from  falling 
into  the  water.  Large  irregular-shaped  stones,  having  depres- 
sions in  them  for  water,  may  he  seen  near  the  entrance  of  the 
little  buildings  used  for  the  ceremonial  tea-parties ; in  this  case 
the  stone  rests  directly  upon  the  ground. 

While  in  most  cases  the  chodzu-bachi  is  but  slightly  removed 
from  the  edge  of  the  verandah,  so  that  one  may  easily  reach  it 

with  the  dipper  which  always  rests 
upon  the  top  of  the  vessel,  in  more 
elaborate  surroundings  a little  plat- 
form called  hisashi-yen  is  built  out 
from  the  edge  of  the  verandah.  This 
platform  has  a floor  of  hainboo  rods, 
or  circular  or  hexagonal  bars  of  wood. 
A hand-rail  often  borders  this  plat- 
form, and  a quaint  old  iron  lantern 
usually  hangs  from  above,  to  light 
the  chodzu-bachi  at  night.  Fig.  240 
represents  the  appearance  of  this  plat- 
form with  the  chdclzu-bachi,  at  the 
house  of  a celebrated  Kiyomidzu  pot- 
ter in  Kioto ; and  in  the  illustration  of  an  old  verandah  at  Kioto 
(fig.  227,  page  244)  is  shown  a Japanese  in  the  act  of  washing 
his  hands. 

Taste  and  ingenuity  are  shown  here,  as  elsewhere,  in  making 
this  corner  refined  and  artistic.  Rare  woods  and  expensive  rock- 
work  enter  into  its  composition;  beautiful  flowers,  climbing  vines, 
and  dwarf-pines  are  clustered  about  it ; and  books  are  specially 
prepared  to  illustrate  the  many  ways  in  which  this  convenience 
may  be  dealt  with. 


Fig.  239.  — Chodzu-bachi. 


GATEWAYS. 


The  general  neatness  and  cleanliness  of  the  people  are  well 
shown  by  the  almost  universal  presence  of  the  choclzu-bachi , not 
only  in  the  houses  and  inns,  but  in  the  public  offices  in  the 
busiest  parts  of  the  city,  — the  railway  station,  to  which  hun- 
dreds throng,  being  no  exception. 

While  little  or  no  attempt  at  architectural  display  is  made 
on  that  side  of  the  house  that  comes  next  the  street,  the  gateway, 
on  the  contrary,  receives  a good  deal  of  attention,  and  many  of 


these  entrances  are  quite  remarkable  for  their  design  and  struc- 
ture. These,  like  the  fences,  vary  greatly  as  to  their  lightness 
or  solidity.  The  gateways  bordering  the  street  are  often  of 
the  most  solid  description,  — well  barred  within,  having  a roof 
above  them,  and  when  painted  black,  as  they  often  are,  looking 
grim  enough.  Whether  solid  or  light,  however,  the  gateways  are 
usually  picturesque.  Rustic  effects  are  frequently  seen,  even  in 
the  gateways  of  the  city  houses  ; though  often  frail  in  appear- 
ance, it  is  rare  to  see  one  in  ruins,  or  even  in  a dilapidated 
condition.  Many  of  them  are  made  of  light  thin  material, 
though  the  upright  posts  are  stout  timbers  well  braced  behind 


256  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


by  supplementary  posts,  with  strong  cross-beams  above.  Often 
quaint  old  ship-planks  or  rugged  and  twisted  branches  form  the 
frame-work  for  the  most  delicate  panelling  of  braided  strips  or 
perforated  designs,  with  flattened  strips  of  dark  bamboo  forming- 
the  centre  ribs  of  a series  of  panels.  All  these  contrasts  of 
strong  and  frail,  rough  and  delicate  in  design,  material,  and  exe- 


cution, are  the  surprises  which  give  such  a charm  to  Japanese- 
work  of  this  nature. 

There  are  many  different  types  of  gateways.  In  the  city, 
one  type  is  seen  in  the  long  row  of  buildings  which  form  part 
of  a yashiki  inclosure  ; these  are  solid  and  ponderous  structures. 
A gateway  of  a similar  kind  is  seen  in  the  thick  high  walls  of 
tile,  mud,  and  plaster  which  surround  a yasliiki.  Another  type  is- 
seen,  in  which  the  gateway  is  flanked  on  either  side  by  tall,  light,. 


GATEWAYS. 


257 


•wooden  or  close  bamboo  fences  ; and  still  another,  which  is  found 
in  the  garden  fences,  and  is  often  of  the  lightest  description. 

Of  the  first  kind  forming  the  entrance  to  the  yashiki,  the 
buildings  of  which  have  not  been  considered  in  this  work,  a 
rough  sketch  is  given  in  fig.  242.  This  is  a gateway  belong- 
ing to  a small  yashiki  not 
far  from  Kudan  in  Tokio, 
which  opens  into  a long 
low  building  solid  and 
heavy  in  construction.  The 
larger  gateway  has  on 
either  side  a narrow  open- 
ing for  ordinary  passage. 

A heavily-barred  and  pro- 
tected window  on  one  side 
is  provided  for  the  gate- 
keeper, from  which  he  can 
see  any  one  that  passes 
in  or  out ; the  narrow 
though  deep  moat  in  front 
is  bridged  by  stone.  The 
gateway,  though  solid,  ap- 
pears far  more  solid  than 
it  is ; the  gates  are  appar- 
ently studded  with  heavy 
round-headed  bolts,  which  as  we  have  seen  are  often  of  preten- 
tious solidity,  being  made  of  the  thinnest  sheet-metal  and  lightly 
attached.  The  broad  metal  straps,  sockets,  and  bindings  of  the 
various  beams  are  of  the  same  sheet-copper.  Gateways  of  this 
nature  are  often  painted  black  or  bright  red,  and  in  the  olden 
times  were  wonderfully  decorated  with  color  and  metal  work. 

Of  another  group  are  the  ordinary  gateways  of  the  better 
class  of  city  houses.  Fig.  243  is  a typical  one  of  this  description. 

17 


Pig.  242.  — Gateway  in  Yashiki  Building. 


258  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


The  sketch  shows  the  appearance  of  the  gateway  from  within,  and 
illustrates  the  way  in  which  the  upright  posts  are  strengthened  by 
additional  posts  and  braces.  The  double  gates  are  held  together 
by  a strong  wooden  bar,  after  the  manner  of  similar  gateways 
at  home.  In  gateways  of  this  description  there  is  usually  a 
small  sliding  door,  its  lower  edge  a foot  from  the  ground,  just 
high  enough  for  a person  to  crawl  through  in  a stooping  atti- 
tude. For  an  alien  resident  to  get  in  or  out  of  this  opening 


{T 

— n 

IMMIII 

VIlil  m 

IIIHIVJ 

iinmij 

inmiii 

"l||l 

IIMIII 

Ml 



Fig.  243.  — Gateway  of  City  House  from  within. 


without  tripping,  or  knocking  off  his  hat,  requires  consider- 
able skill  and  practice.  When  this  little  grated  door  is  slid 
back  it  is  sometimes  arranged  to  jangle  a bell,  or  to  rattle  a 
number  of  pieces  of  iron  hung  by  a string,  as  a warning  to 
the  servant  within.  Sometimes  this  supplementary  opening 
has  a swinging  instead  of  a sliding  door;  in  this  case  a curi- 
ous rattle  is  arranged  by  tying  a number  of  short  segments  of 
bamboo  to  a piece  of  board  which  is  hung  to  the  gate  : these 
rattle  quite  loudly  whenever  the  gate  is  moved.  Fig.  244  illus- 
trates the  appearance  of  this  primitive  yet  ingenious  gate- 
knocker. 


GATEWAYS. 


259 


A number  of  curious  ways  are  devised  to  lock  the  little- 
sliding  door  in  the  gateway,  one  of  which  is  here  figured  (fig. 
245.)  To  the  left  of  the  drawing  a portion  of  the  door  is  shown. 
A piece  hanging  from  a panel  in 
the  gate  is  held  against  the  edge  of 
the  door  by  a sliding  bolt,  which, 
when  pushed  back,  drops  into  place, 
allowing  the  door  to  slide  by.  It  is, 
however,  difficult  to  make  this  clear 
by  description  ; a reference  to  fig. 

245  will  illustrate  it.  Not  only  do 
the  larger  gates  have  these  smaller 
openings,  but  in  the  street-entrance  of  shops  and  inns  the  door 
which  closes  the  entrance  has  a little  door  either  hinged  or  on 


rollers.  This  is  called  the  earthquake  door,  as  through  this  in 
times  of  sudden  danger  the  inmates  escape,  the  larger  doors  or 

rain-shutters  being  li- 


Fig.  245.  — Bolt  for  little  Sliding  Door  in 
Gateway. 


able  to  get  bound  or 
jammed  in  the  sway- 
ing of  the  building. 

The  gateway 
shown  in  fig.  246  was 
sketched  on  the  road 
which  borders  the 
Shinobadzu  pond  in 
Uyeno  Park,  Tokio. 
It  represents  a sim- 
ple form  of  gateway 
in  the  high  wooden 


fence  which  encloses 

the  house  and  garden  from  the  street.  The  double  gates  con- 
sist of  single  thin  planks  ; above,  a decoration  is  cut  out  of  the 
narrow  panel ; a light  coping  held  in  place  bjT  two  brackets 


260  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

crowns  the  whole,  and  a simple  yet  attractive  gateway  is  accom- 
plished. In  this  figure  the  durable  way  in  which  a fence  is 
constructed  is  well  shown.  The  stout  wooden  sills  supported  by 
flat  stones,  which  in  turn  rest  on  the  stone  wall,  may  here  be 
seen ; and  the  interspace  showing  between  the  lower  edge  of 
the  boards  and  the  sill  is  a common  feature  of  fence-structure. 

A barred  opening  in  the 
fence  next  the  gate  per- 
mits one  to  communicate 
with  the  inmates  from 
without. 

A more  elaborate  gate- 
way on  the  same  street  is 
shown  in  fig.  247.  In  this 
gateway  one  of  the  panels 
slides  in  a groove  behind 
the  other  panel,  which  is 
fixed.  These  panels  are 
filled  with  a braiding  of 
thin  strips  of  cedar. 
Above  these  low  panels  is 
a stout  net-work  of  wood. 
The  round  gate-posts  are  held  together  above  by  a round  beam 
as  well  as  by  a wide  and  thin  plank,  in  which  is  cut  in  per- 
forated pattern  a graceful  design.  The  roof  of  the  gate  is 
made  of  wide  thin  boards,  supported  by  transverse  pieces  pass- 
ing through  the  upright  posts  and  kej^ed  into  place.  The  door- 
plate, consisting  of  a thin  board  upon  which  the  name  of  the 
occupant  is  painted,  is  nailed  to  the  post. 

Fig.  248  represents  a gateway  on  the  road  leading  from 
Sliiba  to  Shinagawa,  near  Tokio.  It  was  remarkable  for  the 
beauty  of  its  proportions  and  the  purity  of  its  design.  The 
two  upright  posts  consisted  of  the  natural  trunks  of  trees 


GATEWAYS. 


261 


stripped  of  their  bark,  showing  the  prominences  left  by  the 
removal  of  their  branches.  The  transverse  piece  crowning  the 
whole  had  been  specially  selected  to  give  an  upward  curve  to 
its  ends,  such  as  one  sees  in  the  upper  transverse  beam  of  a 
tori-i.1  It  had  been  cut 
on  three  of  its  faces,  one 
answering  to  its  lower 
face,  and  the  other  two 
to  bring  it  in  line  with 
the  gate;  and  these  sur- 
faces gave  a picturesque 
effect  by  intersecting  the 
irregularities  of  the 
trunk,  producing  a waved 
and  irregular  section. 

Directly  below  this  beam 
was  a black  worm-eaten 
plank  from  some  old 
shipwreck,  and  immedi- 
ately below  this  was  an- 
other transverse  tie  in 
the  shape  of  a huge 
green  bamboo.  The  gate 
itself  was  composed  of 
light  narrow  strips 
placed  half  an  inch  apart,  between  which  could  be  seen  four 
transverse  bars  within.  A small  square  area  in  one  corner  was 
framed  in  for  the  little  supplementary  entrance.  The  gate  was 
flanked  on  each  side  by  wings  composed  of  hoards,  and  capped 
with  a heavy  wooden  rail ; and  these  wings  joined  the  neatest 
of  bamboo  fences,  which  rested  on  a stone  foundation,  which 
in  turn  formed  the  inner  wall  of  the  street  gutter.  Heavy 


1 A gate-like  structure  seen  iu  front  of  all  shrines  and  temples. 


262  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Fig.  248,  — Gateway  near  Tokyo, 


GATEWAYS. 


263 


slabs  of  dressed  stone  made  a bridge  across  the  gutter,  and  in 
front  of  the  gateway  was  an  irregular-shaped  flag-stone,  show- 
ing untouched  its  natural  cleavage  from  the  ledge ; on  each 
side  and  about  this  slab  the  ground  was  paved  with  round 
beacli-worn  cobble-stones.  This  gateway  was  exceedingly  attrac- 
tive ; and  there  is  no  reason  why  just  such  an  entrance,  with 
perhaps  the  exception  of  the  bamboo,  might  not  be  adopted 
for  many  of  our  own  summer  residences. 


Another  gateway  not  so  pretty,  but  showing  one  of  the 
many  grotesque  ideas  of  the  Japanese,  is  shown  in  fig.  249. 
Here  the  upper  transverse  beam  is  a huge  and  crooked  log  of 
wood, — an  old  log  which  had  been  dragged  from  the  forest  just 
as  it  fell  in  ruins  from  some  tree.  This  peculiar  way  of  arching 
a gateway  with  a tortuous  stick  is  quite  commonly  seen. 

Fig.  250  represents  a typical  form  of  gateway  often  ob- 
served in  the  suburbs  of  Tokio  and  farther  south.  Its  roof  is 
quite  large  and  complex,  yet  not  heavy.  The  gate  has  a wide 
over-hanging  roof  of  bark ; the  ridge  consists  of  large  bamboos 
placed  longitudinally  in  two  sets,  each  set  being  kept  apart  from 
each  other  as  well  as  from  the  roof  by  thick  saddles  of  bark 
resting  across  the  ridge,  the  whole  mass  tied  together  and  to 


264  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

the  roof  by  a black-fibrecl  root,  the  ends  of  these  cords  beiim 
twisted  above  into  an  ornamental  plume.  Smaller  bamboos  are 
placed  at  intervals  nearly  to  the  eaves  of  the  roof.  The  rafters 
below  were  of  different  sizes  and  shapes  in  section,  being  round 
and  square.  The  sketch  will  more  fully  explain  the  structure. 

Figs.  251  and  252  are  rustic  gateways  in  one  of  the  large 
Imperial  gardens  in  Tokio.  In  one,  two  rough  logs  form  the 

posts,  the  fence  being 
composed  of  large  bam- 
boos in  sets  of  three, 
alternating  on  either  side 
of  the  rails  to  which  they 
are  tied.  This  was  a 
portal  simply.  The  other 
had  smooth  round  gate- 
posts with  a light  wooden 
gate  with  braided  panel, 
and  the  fence  of  each 
side  was  composed  of 
rush.  These  gateways 
and  fences  were  intro- 
duced as  pleasing  effects  in  the  garden. 

In  the  village  of  Miyajima  the  deer  come  down  from  the 
woods  and  wander  through  the  streets.  To  prevent  them  from 
entering  the  houses  and  gardens,  the  passages  are  guarded  by 
the  lightest  of  latticed  gates,  against  which  hangs  a weight 
suspended  from  above  by  a cord  or  long  bamboo.  The  weight 
answers  a double  purpose  by  keeping  the  gate  closed,  and 
also  when  opened  by  a caller,  by  banging  loudly  against  it, 
thus  attracting  the  attention  of  a servant. 

Large  folding  gates  are  often  fastened  by  a transverse  bar 
not  unlike  the  way  in  which  gates  are  fastened  in  our  country. 
For  light-folding  gates  an  iron  ring  fastened  to  one  gate  by 


Fig.  250.  — Rustic  Gateway. 


GATEWAYS. 


265 


a staple  is  arranged  to  slip  over  a knob  or  nail  on  the  other 
gate.  In  the  yashiki,  one  often  sees  gates  that  show  evi- 
dences of  disuse,  and  learns  that  in  former  times  such  gates 
were  only  used  on  rare  occasions  by  special  guests  of  great 
importance. 

There  is  an  infinite  variety  of  forms  of  garden  gates ; many 
of  them  consisting  of  the  lightest  wicker-work,  and  made  solely 
for  picturesque  effects.  Others,  though  for  the  same  purpose, 


Tig.  251.  — Rustic  Gateway. 


are  more  substantial.  Fig.  253  represents  a quaint  garden 
gate  leading  into  another  garden  beyond.  Frail  and  unsub- 
stantial as  this  gate  appeared,  it  was  nearly  forty  years  old. 
The  house  to  the  right  beyond  the  gate  is  for  the  tea-ceremo- 
nies, and  the  huge  fish  seen  hanging  up  at  the  left  is  made  of 
wood,  and  gives  out  a resonant  sound  when  struck ; it  is  the 
bell,  in  fact,  to  call  the  party  from  the  guest-room  to  the  tea- 
room beyond  at  the  proper  time.  The  owner  of  this  place  is 
a teacher  and  master  of  the  Cha-no-yu,  and  a famous  expert 
in  old  writings. 


266  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


The  variety  in  design  and  structure  of  fences  seems  almost 
inexhaustible.  Many  of  them  are  solid  and  durable  structures, 
others  of  the  lightest  possible  description,  — some  made  with 
solid  frame  and  heavy  stakes,  and  others  of  wisps  of  rush  and 
sticks  of  bamboo ; and  between  these  is  an  infinite  variety 
of  intermediate  forms.  A great  diversity  of  material  enters  into 
the  structure  of  these  fences,  — heavy  timbers,  light  boards,  sticks 


Fig.  252.  — Rustic  Garden  Gate. 

of  red-pine,  bamboo,  reed,  twigs,  and  fagots.  Bundles  of  rush, 
and  indeed  almost  every  kind  of  plant  that  can  be  bound  into 
bundles  or  sustain  its  own  weight  are  brought  into  requisition 
in  the  composition  of  these  boundary  partitions. 

The  fences  have  special  names,  either  derived  from  their  form 
or  the  substances  from  which  they  are  made ; thus,  a little  orna- 
mental fence  that  juts  out  from  the  side  of  a house  or  wall  is 
called  a sode-gciki,  — sode  meaning  ‘‘sleeve,”  and  kaki  “fence,” 
the  form  of  the  fence  having  a fanciful  resemblance  to  the  curious 


FENCES. 


267 


long  sleeve  of  a Japanese  dress.  A fence  made  out  of  bamboo  is 
called  a ma-gaki ; while  a fence  made  out  of  the  perfumed  wood 
from  which  the  toothpicks  are  made  is  called  a kicro-moji-gaki, 
and  so  on. 

There  are  many  different  groups  of  Japanese  fences.  Under 
one  group  may  be  mentioned  all  those  enclosing  the  ground  upon 


which  the  house  stands.  In  the  city  these  are  often  quite  tall, 
usually  built  of  boards,  and  supported  on  solid  frames  resting  on 
a foundation  of  stone.  In  the  country  such  fences  are  hardly 
more  than  trellises  of  bamboo,  and  these  of  the  lightest  descrip- 
tion. Many  of  the  fences  are  strictly  ornamental,  consisting 
either  of  light  trellises  bounding  certain  areas,  or  forming  little 
•screens  jutting  from  the  side  of  the  house,  or  from  the  side  of 
more  durable  fences  or  walls.  Of  these  the  designs  are  endless. 


2GS  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


■ B 


& 


Let  us  examine  more  in  detail  some  of  the  principal  Japanese 
types  of  fences.  A simple  board-fence  consists,  as  with  us,  of  an 
upper  and  lower  cross-tie,  to  which  the  boards  are  nailed.  A use- 
ful modification  of  the  ordinary  board-fence  consists  in  having  the 

upper  and  lower  rails  of  thick 
board,  three  or  four  inches  wide, 
and  nailed  sideways  to  the  fence- 
posts.  The  fence-boards  are  nailed 
to  these  rails  alternately  on  one 
side  and  on  the  other.  A pretty 
effect  is  produced  by  the  inter- 
rupted appearance  of  the  rails, 
and  a useful  purpose  also  is  sub- 
served by  lessening  the  pressure  of 
Fig.  254  — Ordinary  Wooden  Fence,  the  wind  which  SO  often  blows 

with  great  violence,  since  by  secur- 
ing the  boards  in  this  way  interspaces  occur  between  the 
boards  the  width  of  the  rails.  Fig.  254  illustrates  a portion 
of  this  kind  of  fence,  with  its  appearance  in  section  as  seen 
from  above.  This  feature  in  board 


'/ 

$ 

] 

If 

■ 

i'i 

t 

! \! 


fences  might  be  imitated  with  ad- 
vantage in  our  country. 

Heavy  stake  fences  are  made  by 
mortising  each  stake,  which  consists 
of  a stout  square  piece,  and  running 
the  rail  through  the  mortises  thus 
made,  and  then  pinning  each  stake 
in  position.  In  many  fences  of  this 
kind  there  are  two  rails  near  together,  while  the  lower  ends 
of  the  stakes  are  secured  to  a foundation-piece,  or  sill,  which 
is  raised  an  inch  or  two  from  the  ground  by  stone  props  at 
intervals.  By  this  treatment  the  sill  is  preserved  both  from  the 
ravages  of  insects  and  the  dampness  of  the  ground 


Fig.  255.  — Stake  Fence. 


Fig. 


255 


FENCES. 


269' 


gives  the  appearance  of  this  kind  of  fence.  Such  fences  are 
made  more  secure  by  driving  into  the  ground  additional  posts 
at  a distance  of  two  feet  or  more,  and  binding  them  together 
by  rails,  as  shown  in  the  gateway  (fig.  243,  page  258). 

A very  serviceable  kind  of  fence  is  made  of  bamboo,  which  is 
interwoven  in  the  rails  of  the  fence,  as  shown  in  fig.  256.  The 
bamboo  stakes  are  held  in  place  by  their  elasticity.  It  will  be 
observed  that  the  post  supporting  this  fence,  and  also  showing 
the  side  of  a gateway,  is  marked  in  a curious  fashion.  This 
post  is  a stout  stick  of  wood  in  its  natu- 
ral state,  the  bark  only  being  removed. 

The  design,  in  a rich  brown  color,  is  in 
this  case  in  the  form  of  diamond-shaped 
spaces,  though  spiral  lines,  like  those 
on  a barber’s  pole,  are  often  seen.  This 
design  is  burned  in,  and  the  wood  being 
carbonized  is  consequently  insoluble  as 
well  as  unchangeable  in  color.  I was 
curious  to  know  how  such  a design  was 
burned  in  this  formal  pattern,  and 
learned  that  a long  stout  rope,  or  band 

of  straw  soaked  in  water,  was  first 

, , , , . . . , . , Pie.  25(3. — Bamboo  Fence. 

wound  around  the  post  m a wide  spiral, 

in  two  directions,  leaving  diamond-shaped  interspaces.  A lied 
of  hot  coals  being  prepared,  the  post  was  exposed  to  this  heat, 
and  the  wood  not  protected  by  the  wet  straw-band  became 
charred.  This  simple  yet  ingenious  way  of  getting  plain  dec- 
orations, in  a rich  brown  and  lasting  color,  is  one  that  might 
be  utilized  in  a variety  of  ways  by  American  architects. 

Fences  built  between  house-lots,  and  consequently  bordering 
the  gardens,  are  made  in  a variety  of  decorative  ways.  A very 
strong  and  durable  fence  is  shown  in  fig.  257,  sketched  in 
Hakone  village.  The  posts  in  this  case  were  natural  trunks  of 


270  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


trees,  and  braces  of  the  same  material,  fastened  by  stout  wooden 
pins,  were  secured  to  one  side.  The  rail  consisted  of  similar  tree- 


trunks  partially  hewn,  while  the  fence  partition  consisted  of 
small  bamboo  interwoven  in  the  cross-ties. 


Fig.  258.  — Rustic  Garden-fence. 


Another  fence  of  a more  ornamental  character  (fig.  258)  is 
from  a sketch  made  in  Tokio.  In  this  the  lower  part  was 


FENCES. 


271 


Idled  with  a mass  of  twigs,  held  in  place  by  slender  cross- 
pieces ; and  the  upper  panels  con- 
sisted of  sticks  of  the  red-pine  with 
a slender  vine  interwoven,  making 
a simple  trellis. 

In  the  sode-gaki,  or  sleeve-fence, 
the  greatest  ingenuity  in  design  and 
fabrication  is  shown ; their  variety 
seems  endless-  I have  a Japanese 
work  especially  devoted  to  this  kind 
of  fence,  in  which  are  hundreds  of 
different  designs,  — square  tops, 
curving  tops,  circular  or  concave 
edges,  panels  cut  out,  and  an  in- 
finite variety  shown  in  the  minor 
details.  This  kind  of  fence  is  al- 

iiG.  259.  — Sode-gaki. 

ways  built  out  from  the  side  of 

the  house  or  from  a more  permanent  fence  or  wall.  It  is 

rarely  over  four  or  five  feet  in 
length,  and  is  strictly  ornamental, 
though  often  useful  in  screening 
some  feature  of  the  house  that  is 
desired  to  be  concealed. 

Fig.  259  represents  a fence  in 
which  cylindrical  bundles  of  rush 
are  bound  together  by  a black-fibred 
root,  and  held  together  by  bamboo 
pieces.  Little  bundles  of  fagots 
are  tied  to  each ‘columns  as  an  odd 
feature  of  decoration.  In  fffi.  260 

O 

cylindrical  bundles  of  rush  and  twigs 
are  affixed  in  pairs  on  each  side  of 
bamboo  ties,  which  run  from  the  outer  post  to  the  wooden  fence 


JAVANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


272 


from  which  the  sode-jaki  springs.  In  still  another  form  (fig 
2G1)  the  upper  portion  consists  of  a bundle  of  stout  reeds  tied. 

by  broad  bands  of  the  black  fibre 
so  often  used  in  such  work.  From 
this  apparently  hangs  a broad  mass 
of  brown  rush,  spreading  as  it 
reaches  the  ground.  Such  fences 
might  be  added  to  our  gardens,  as 
the  materials  — such  as  reeds,  rush* 
twigs,  etc.  — are  easily  obtained  in 
this  country.  In  the  stout  wooden 
fences  it  is  not  an  uncommon  sight 
to  see  openings  the  size  of  a small 
window  protected  by  a projecting 
grating  of  wood  (fig.  262). 

Besides  the  fences,  a few  of 
which  only  have  been  figured,  there 
are  stout,  durable  walls  built  up 
with  tile  and  plaster,  or  mud  intermixed.  These  structures 
rest  on  a foundation  of  stone, 
are  two  or  three  feet  wide  at 
their  base,  and  rise  to  a height 
of  eight  feet  or  more,  at  which 
altitude  they  may  not  be  over 
two  feet  in  width,  and  are 
crowned  with  a coping  of  tiles 
like  a miniature  roof-top.  The 
interior  of  these  wralls  is  filled 

with  a rubble  of  clay  and  brok- 

„ . . , Pig.  262. — Barbed  Opening  in  Pence* 

en  tiles,  while  the  outside  ex- 
hibits an  orderly  arrangement  of  tiles  in  successive  layers. 

The  large  enclosures,  or  yashikis,  are  generally  surrounded 
by  walls  of  this  nature. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


GARDENS. 

Stone  Tablets.  — Isiii-doro.  — Bridges.  — Summer-Houses.  — Ponds.  — Pathways. — 
Dwarf-Trees  and  Flower-pots.  — Views  of  Private  Gardens. 

' J^HE  Japanese  garden,  like  tlie  house,  presents  features  that 
never  enter  into  similar  places  in  America.  With  us 
it  is  either  modelled  after  certain  French  styles,  or  it  is  simply 
beds  of  flowers  in  patches  or  formal  plats,  or  narrow  beds  bor- 
dering the  paths ; and  even  these  attempts  are  generally  made 
on  large  areas  only.  The  smaller  gardens  seen  around  our 
ordinary  dwellings  are  with  few  exceptions  a tangle  of  bushes, 
or  wretched  attempts  to  crowd  as  many  different  kinds  of 
flowers  as  possible  into  a given  area ; and  when  winter  comes, 
there  is  nothing  left  but  a harvest  of  dead  stalks  and  a lot 
of  hideously-designed  trellises  painted  green. 

It  is  no  wonder,  then,  that  as  our  people  have  gradually  be- 
come awakened  within  recent  years  to  some  idea  of  fitness  and 
harmony  of  color,  the  conventional  flower-bed  has  been  hopelessly 
abandoned,  and  now  green  grass  grows  over  the  graves  of  most 
of  these  futile  attempts  to  defy  Nature.  The  grass  substitute 
has  at  least  the  merit  of  not  being  offensive  to  the  eye,  and 
of  requiring  but  little  care  save  that  of  the  strenuous  pushing 
of  the  mechanical  grass-cutter.  This  substitute  is,  however,  a 
confession  of  inability  and  ignorance,  — as  much  as  if  a decora- 
tor, after  having  struggled  in  vain  with  his  fresco  designs  upon 
some  ceiling,  should  give  up  in  disgust  and  paint  the  entire 
surface  one  color. 


is 


274  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

The  secret  in  a Japanese  garden  is  that  they  do  not  at- 
tempt too  much.  That  reserve  and  sense  of  propriety  which 
characterize  this  people  in  all  their  decorative  and  other  artistic 
work  are  here  seen  to  perfection.  Furthermore,  in  the  midst  of 
so  much  that  is  evanescent  they  see  the  necessity  of  provid- 
ing enduring  points  of  interest  in  the  way  of  little  ponds  and 
bridges,  odd-shaped  stone  lanterns  and  inscribed  rocks,  summer- 
houses and  rustic  fences,  quaint  paths  of  stone  and  pebble, 
and  always  a number  of  evergreen  trees  and  shrubs.  We,  in- 
deed, have  feebly  groped  that  way  with  our  cement  vases,  jig- 
saw pavilions  green  with  poisonous  compound,  and  cast-iron 
fountains  of  such  design  that  one  no  longer  wonders  at  the  in- 
crease  of  insanity  in  our  midst.  One  of  every  hundred  of  the 
fountains  that  our  people  dote  upon  is  in  the  form  of  two  little 
cast-iron  children  standing  in  a cast-iron  basin,  holding  over 
their  heads  a sheet-iron  umbrella,  from  the  point  of  which 
squirts  a stream  of  water,  — a perennial  shower  for  them 
alone,  while  the  grass  and  all  about  may  be  sear  and  yellow 
with  the  summer’s  drought ! 

The  Japanese  have  brought  their  garden  arts  to  such  per- 
fection that  a plot  of  ground  ten  feet  square  is  capable  of 
being  exquisitely  beautified  by  their  methods.  Plots  of  ground 
that  in  this  country  are  too  often  encumbered  with  coal-ashes, 
tea-grounds,  tin  cans,  and  the  garbage-barrel,  in  Japan  are  ren- 
dered charming  to  the  eye  by  the  simplest  means.  With  cleanli- 
ness, simplicity,  a few  little  evergreen  shrubs,  one  or  two  little 
clusters  of  flowers,  a rustic  fence  projecting  from  the  side  of  the 
house,  a quaintly  shaped  flower-pot  or  two,  containing  a few 
choice  plants,  — the  simplest  form  of  garden  is  attained.  So 
much  do  the  Japanese  admire  gardens,  and  garden  effects,  that 
their  smallest  strips  of  ground  are  utilized  for  this  purpose.  In 
the  crowded  city,  among  the  poorest  houses,  one  often  sees,  in 
the  corner  of  a little  earth-area  that  comes  between  the  sill  and 


STONE  TABLETS. 


275- 


the  raised  floor,  a miniature  garden  made  in  some  shallow  box, 
or  even  on  the  ground  itself.  In  gardens  of  any  pretensions,  a 
little  pond  or  sheet  of  water  of  irregular  outline  is  an  indis- 
pensable feature.  If  a brook  can  be  turned  to  run  through  the 
garden,  one  of  the  great  charms  is  attained ; and  a diminutive 
water-fall  gives  all  that  can  be  desired.  With  the  aid  of  frao'- 
ments  of  rock  and  rounded  boulders,  the  picturesque  features 
of  a brook  can  be  brought  out ; little  rustic  bridges  of  stone 
and  wood  span  it,  and  even  the  smallest  pond  will  have  a 
bridge  of  some  kind  thrown  across.  A few  small  hummocks 
and  a little  mountain  six  or  eight  feet  high,  over  or  about 
which  the  path  runs,  are  nearly  always  present. 

In  gardens  of  larger  size  these  little  mountains  are  some- 
times twenty,  thirty,  and  even  forty  feet  in  height,  and  are 
built  up  from  the  level  ground  with  great  labor  and  expense. 
On  top  of  these  a little  rustic  lookout  with  thatched  roof  is 
made,  from  which  if  a view  of  Fuji  can  be  got  the  acme  is 
indeed  reached.  In  still  larger  gardens,  — that  is,  gardens- 
measuring  several  hundred  feet  each  wray,  — the  ponds  and 
bridges,  small  hills  and  meandering  paths,  with  shrubs  trimmed 
in  round  balls  of  various  sizes,  and  grotesquely-shaped  pines 
with  long  tortuous  branches  running  near  the  ground,  are  all 
combined  in  such  a way  by  the  skilful  landscape  gardener 
that  the  area  seems,  without  exaggeration  of  statement,  ten 
times  as  vast. 

Irregularly  and  grotesquely  shaped  stones  and  huge  slabs  of 
rock  form  an  important  feature  of  all  gardens ; indeed,  it  is 
as  difficult  to  imagine  a Japanese  garden  without  a number 
of  picturesque  and  oddly-shaped  stones  as  it  is  to  imagine  an 
American  garden  without  flowers.  In  Tokio,  for  example,  there 
being  near  the  city  no  proper  rocks  of  this  kind  for  garden 
decoration,  rocks  and  stones  are  often  transported  forty  or  fifty 


270  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


miles  for  this  purpose  alone.  There  are  stone-yards  in  which 
one  may  see  and  purchase  rocks  such  as  one  might  use  in  build- 
ing a rough  cellar-wall  at  home,  and  also  sea-worn  rocks  of  vari- 
ous shapes  and  colors,  — among  them  red-colored  stones,  that 
fetch  a hundred  dollars  and  more,  brought  from  Sado,  an  island 
on  the  northwest  coast  of  Japan.  So  much  do  the  Japanese  ad- 
mire stones  and  rocks  for  garden  decoration,  that  in  their  vari- 
ous works  on  the  subject  of  garden-making  the  proper  arrange- 
ment of  stones  is  described 
and  figured  with  painstaking 
minuteness.  In  the  figures 
to  be  given  of  Japanese  gar- 
dens, reproduced  from  a work 
entitled  u Chikusan  Teizo- 
den,”  written  in  the  early 
part  of  the  last  century,  the 
arrangement  of  rocks  in  the 
various  garden  designs  will 
be  observed. 

Tablets  of  rock,  not  unlike 
a certain  type  of  gravestone, 
and  showing  the  rough  cleav- 
age of  the  rock  from  the  parent  ledge,  are  often  erected  in  gar- 
dens. Upon  the  face  of  the  rock  some  appropriate  inscription  is 
engraved.  The  accompanying  sketch  (fig.  263)  is  a tablet  of  this 
sort,  from  a famous  tea-garden  at  Omori,  celebrated  for  its 
plum-blossoms.  The  legend,  freely  translated,  runs  as  follows : 
“ The  sight  of  the  plum-blossom  causes  the  ink  to  flow  in  the 
writing-room,”  — meaning  that  one  is  inspired  to  compose  poetry 
under  the  influence  of  these  surroundings.  This  tablet  was  raised 
on  a slight  mound,  with  steps  leading  to  it  and  quaint  pines  and 
shrubs  surrounding  it.  The  sketch  gives  only  a suggestion  of 
its  appearance. 


Fig.  263.  — Garden  Tablet. 


ISHI-DORO. 


277 


Fig.  264. 

ISHI-DORO  in  Tokio. 

of  water-worn  rock. 


Fig.  265.  — ISHI- 
DORO  IN  MlYAJIMA. 


The  stone  lanterns  ( ishi-doro ) are  one  of  the  most  common 
yet  important  accompaniments  of  garden  decoration.  Indeed, 
it  is  rare  to  see  a garden,  even  of  small  size, 
without  one  or  more  of  these  curious  objects. 

They  are  usually  wrought  out  of  soft  volcanic 
rock,  and  ordinary  ones  may  be  bought  for  a 
few  dollars.  They  resemble  stout  stone-posts  of 

various  contours,  round, 
square,  hexagonal,  or 
octagonal ; or  the  upper 
part  may  be  hexagonal, 
while  the  shaft  support- 
ing it  may  be  a round 
pillar ; or  they  may  be 
of  irregular  form,  built 
The  upper  portion  is  hollowed  out,  leav- 
ing various  openings  cut  in  ornamental  shape ; and  in  this 
cavity  a lamp  or  candle  is  placed  on  special  occasions.  They 
are  generally  made  in  two  or  three  sections. 

There  are  at  least  three  distinct  types,  — short 
and  broad  ones  with  tops  shaped 
like  a mushroom,  these  generally 
standing  on  three  or  four  legs ; 
tall,  slender  ones  ; and  a third  form 
composed  of  a number  of  sections 
piled  up  to  a considerable  height, 
looking  like  a pagoda,  which,  for 
all  I know,  they  may  be  made  to 
imitate. 

These  stone  lanterns  are  called  ishi-doro 
that  in  ancient  times  there  was  a pond  on  a certain  mountain, 
in  the  vicinity  of  which  robbers  repeatedly  came  out  and  at- 
tacked travellers.  In  consequence  of  this,  a god  called  Iruhiko 


Fig.  266. 


iUfi- 


■ Ishi-doro  in  Siiirako, 
Musashi. 


A legend  states 


278  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


caused  to  be  built  stone  lanterns  to  illuminate  the  roads,  — • 
stone  being  a more  enduring  material.  In  a temple  built  by 

Prince  Slrotoko,  in  the  second  year  of 
Suiko  (594  a.  d.),  the  first  ishi-ddro  is  said 
to  have  been  erected,  and  the  legend  states 
that  it  was  removed  from  the  region, 
above  named  to  this  temple.1 

A few  sketches  are  here  given  illus- 
trating some  of  the  forms  of  ishi-dord 
observed.  The  one  shown  in  fig.  265  was 
sketched  on  the  temple  grounds  of  Miya- 
jima,  on  the  inland  sea.  1 was  informed 
by  the  priest  there  that  this  stone  lan- 
tern was  over  seven  hundred  years  old. 
Its  base  was  buried,  and  the  whole  affair 
showed  evidences  of  great  age  in  the  worn 
appearance  of  its  various  parts.  Figs.  264  and  266  represent 
forms  from  Tokio  and  Shirako,  and  fig.  267  an  elaborately 
wrought  one  from  Utsunomiya. 


Fig.  267.  — Ishi-doro  in 
Utsunomiya. 


Fig.  26S  — Sioye  Foot-rrttige. 


The  little  bridges  of  stone  and  wood  are  extremely  good  ex* 
am  pies  of  rustic-work,  and  might  be  copied  with  advantage  in 
our  country.  The  ingenious  device  of  displacing  the  stones 
laterally  (fig.  268),  or  of  combining  the  bridge  with  stepping- 
stones,  as  seen  in  some  of  them,  is  decidedly  unique. 

1 This  legend  is  from  a work  entitled  “ Chikusan  Teizoden.” 


BRIDGES.  — SUMMER-HOUSES. 


279 


Fig.  2G9  illustrates  a stone  bridge  in  one  of  the  large  gardens 
of  Tokio.  The  span  of  this  bridge  was  ten  or  twelve  feet,  and 
yet  the  bridge  itself  was  composed  of  a single  slab  of  stone. 
Fig.  270  shows  a little  brook  in  a private  garden  in  Tokio. 


Here  the  foot-bridge  consists  of  an  un wrought  slab  of  rock. 
The  ishi-ddro  showing  in  the  same  sketch  consists  of  a number 
of  naturally-worn  stones,  except  the  lantern  portion,  which  has 
been  cut  out. 


■Fig.  270.  — Garden  Brook  and  Boot-bridge. 

The  summer-houses  are  simple  and  picturesque ; sometimes 
they  have  a seat  and  a do-ma,  or  earth  floor ; others  will  have 
a board  or  a matted  floor.  These  houses  are  generally  open, 
the  square  thatched  roof  being  supported  on  four  corner-posts , 
others  again  will  have  two  sides  closed  by  permanent  partitions. 


280  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

in  one  of  which  an  ornamental  opening  or  window  occurs.  We 
cannot  understand  what  so  intelligent  an  observer  as  Rein  means, 
when  he  makes  the  statement  that  the  Japanese  garden  con- 
tains no  summer-house,  — for  it  is  rare  to  see  a garden  of  any 
magnitude  without  one,  and  impossible  to  refer  to  any  Japanese 
book  on  the  subject  in  which  these  little  rustic  shelters  and 
resting-places  are  not  figured. 

The  training  of  vines  and  trees  about  the  summer-house 
window  is  often  delightfully  conceived.  We  recall  the  circular 
window  of  one  that  presented  a most  beautiful  appearance. 
Three  sides  of  the  summer-house  were  closed  by  permanent 
plaster  partitions,  tinted  a rich  brown  color,  with  a very  broad- 
eaved  thatched  roof  throwing  its  dark  shade  on  the  matted 
floor.  In  the  partition  opposite  the  open  side  was  a perfectly 
circular  window  five  feet  in  diameter.  There  was  no  frame  or 
moulding  to  this  opening,  simply  the  plastering  finished  squarely 
at  the  border  ; dark-brown  bamboos  of  various  thicknesses,  se- 
cured across  this  opening  horizontally,  formed  the  frame-work ; 
running  vertically,  and  secured  to  the  bamboo,  was  a close 
grating  of  brown  rush.  Over  and  around  this  window  — it  being 
on  the  sunny  side — there  had  been  carefully  trained  outside  a 
vine  with  rich  green  leaves,  so  that  the  window  was  more  or 
less  shaded  by  it.  The  effect  of  the  sunlight  falling  upon  the 
vine  was  exquisite  beyond  description.  When  two  or  three  leaves 
interposed  between  the  sun’s  rays,  the  color  was  a rich  dark 
green ; where  here  and  there,  over  the  whole  mass,  a single 
leaf  only  interrupted  the  light,  there  were  bright  green  flashes, 
like  emerald  gems ; at  points  the  dazzling  sunlight  glinted  like 
sparks.  In  a few  places  the  vine  and  leaves  had  been  coaxed 
through  the  grating  of  rushes,  and  these  were  consequently  in 
deep  shadow.  I did  not  attempt  to  sketch  it,  as  no  drawing 
could  possibly  convey  an  idea  of  the  exceeding  richness  and 
charm  of  the  effect,  with  the  cool  and  shaded  room  within,  the 


S UMMEB-HO  USES. 


281 


dark-brown  lattice  of  bamboo  and  rush,  the  capacious  round 
opening,  and,  above  all,  the  effect  of  the  various  rich  greens, — 
which  was  greatly  heightened  as  the  wind  tremulously  shifted  the 
leafy  screens  without,  and  thus  changed  the  arrangement  of  the 
emerald  colors  within. 

My  attention  was  first  attracted  to  it  by  noticing  a number 
of  Japanese  peering  at  it  through  an  open  fence,  and  admiring 
in  rapt  delight  this  charm- 
ing conception.  Such  a room 
and  window  might  easily  be 
arranged  in  our  gardens,  as 
we  have  a number  of  vines 
with  light,  translucent  leaves 
capable  of  being  utilized  in 
this  way. 

Fig.  271  gives  a view  of 
a summer-house  in  a private 
garden  in  Tokio.  Four  rough 
posts  and  a few  cross-ties 
formed  the  frame ; it  had  a 
raised  floor,  the  edge  of  which 
formed  a seat,  and  two  plas- 

Fig.  271.  — Summer-house  in  Private  Gar- 
tered  partitions  at  right  an-  DEN)  Tokio 

gles,  in  one  of  which  was  cut 

a circular  window,  and  in  the  other  a long,  narrow  opening 
above ; and  crowning  the  whole  was  a heavily-thatched  roof, 
its  peak  capped  by  an  inverted  earthen  basin.  Whether  the 
basin  was  made  expressly  for  this  purpose  or  not,  its  warm  red 
color  added  a pleasing  effect  to  the  gray  of  the  thatch.  In 
front  and  about  it  stones  and  rocks  were  arranged  in  pleasing 
disorder,  while  a number  of  exotic  flowers  and  quaintly  trimmed 
shrubs  added  their  charms,  and  a little  brook  found  its  way 
across  the  path  leading  to  it. 


282  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Fig.  272  is  the  sketch  of  a summer-house  in  one  of  the  im- 
perial gardens  in  Tokio.  The  frame,  as  in  the  one  last  figured, 
consisted  of  round  sticks  with  the  bark  retained ; this  was  capped 
with  a thatched  roof,  surmounted  by  a ridge  of  thatch  and  bam- 
boo. A very  pretty  feature  was  shown  in  the  trellises,  which 
sprung  diagonally  from  each  post,  — the  frame  of  these  trellises 
consisting  of  tree-branches  selected  for  their  irregular  forms.  The 
lattice  was  made  of  bamboo  and  rush,  and  each  trellis  had  a 
different  design.  The  seat  within  was  of  porcelain  ; and  about 


pearance  of  these  rustic  openings,  — one  representing  a gourd, 
its  frame  being  made  of  grape-vine ; the  other  suggesting  a 
mountain,  the  lattice  being  made  of  bamboo. 

For  border  hedges,  trees  of  large  size  are  often  trained  to  form 
a second  barrier  above  the  squarely-trimmed  shrubs  that  come 
next  the  path.  A jinko-tree  is  trained  so  that  it  spreads  like 
a fan,  in  one  direction,  to  a width  of  thirty  feet  or  more,  while 
it  may  not  be  over  two  feet  in  thickness.  An  infinite  amount 
of  patient  work  is  required  in  tying  all  the  big  branches  and 
little  twigs  to  bamboo  supports  in  order  to  bring  trees  into 
such  strange  forms. 


the  slight  mound  on 
which  the  summer- 
house stood  were  curi- 
ously-trimmed shrubs 
and  dwarfed  pines. 


Fig  272.  — Summer-house  in  Imperial  Garden,  Tokio. 


The  openings  or  win- 
dows in  these  sum- 
mer-houses are  often 
remarkable  for  their 
curious  designs.  The 
following  sketches 
(figs.  273,  274)  give  a 
faint  idea  of  the  ap- 


S UMMER-HO  USES. 


283 


In  the  garden  of  Fnkiage,  in  Tokio,  some  very  marvellous 
effects  of  landscape-gardening  are  seen.  At  a distance  you  notice 
high  ground,  a hill  in  fact,  perhaps  fifty  or  sixty  feet  in  height ; 
approaching  it  from  a plain  of  rich  green  grass  you  cross  a little 
lake,  bridged  at  one  point  by  a 
single  slab  of  rock  ; then  up  a ra- 
vine, down  which  a veritable  moun- 
tain brook  is  tumbling,  and  through 
a rock  foundation  so  natural,  that, 
until  a series  of  faults  and  disloca- 
tions, synclinals  and  anticlinals,  in 
rapid  succession  arouse  your  geo- 
logical memories  with  a rude  shock, 
you  cannot  believe  that  all  this  co- 
lossal mass  of  material  has  been 
transported  here  by  man,  from  distances  to  be  measured  by 
leagues ; and  that  a few  hundred  years  ago  a low  plain  existed 
where  now  are  rocky  ravines  and  dark  dells,  with  heavy  forest 

trees  throwing  their 
cool  shadows  over  all. 
You  wend  your  way 
by  a picturesque  for- 
est-path to  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill,  which 
is  crowned  by  a rustic 
summer  - house  with 
wide  verandah,  from 
which  a beautiful  view 
of  Fuji  is  got.  Look- 
ing back  towards  the  park,  you  expect  to  see  the  ravine  below, 
but,  to  your  amazement,  an  absolutely  flat  plain  of  shrubbery, 
resembling  a closely-cropped  tea  plantation,  level  to  the  top  of 
the  hill  and  extending  to  a considerable  distance,  greets  your 


Fig.  274. — Rustic  Opening  in  Summer-house, 
Okazaki. 


Fig.  273.  — Rustic  Opening  in 
Summer-house,  Kobe. 


284  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

eye.  Have  you  lost  the  points  of  the  compass  ? Walking  out 
in  the  direction  of  this  level  growth  of  shrubbery,  a new  sur- 
prise awaits  you ; for  peering  through  the  bushes,  you  look  down 
the  slopes  of  the  steep  hill  you  had  ascended.  The  forest-trees 
which  thickly  cover  the  slopes  of  the  hill  had  been  trimmed 
above  to  an  absolute  level  ; and  this  treatment  had  gone  on 
for  so  many  years  that  the  tops  formed  a dense  mass  having 
the  appearance,  from  the  summer-house,  of  a continuous  stretch 
of  low  shrubs  springing  from  a level  ground. 

I have  spoken  of  the  love  the  Japanese  have  for  gardens 
and  garden  effects,  the  smallest  areas  of  ground  being  utilized 
for  this  purpose.  As  an  illustration  of  this,  I recall  an  expe- 
rience in  a cheap  inn,  where  I was  forced  to  take  a meal  or 
go  hungry  till  late  at  night.  The  immediate  surroundings  in- 
dicated poverty,  the  house  itself  being  poorly  furnished,  the 
mats  hard  and  uneven,  and  the  attendants  very  cheaply  dressed. 
In  the  room  where  our  meal  was  served  there  was  a circular 
window,  through  which  could  be  seen  a curious  stone  lantern 
and  a pine-tree,  the  branches  of  which  stretched  across  the 
opening,  while  beyond  a fine  view  of  some  high  mountains  was. 
to  be  had.  From  where  we  sat  on  the  mats  there  were  all  the 
evidences  of  a line  garden  outside ; and  wondering  how  so  poor 
a house  could  sustain  so  fine  a garden,  I went  to  the  window 
to  investigate.  What  was  my  surprise  to  find  that  the  extent 
of  ground  from  which  the  lantern  and  pine-tree  sprung  was 
just  three  feet  in  width  ! Then  came  a low  board-fence,  and 
beyond  this  stretched  the  rice-fields  of  a neighboring  farmer. 
At  home  such  a narrow  strip  of  land  would  in  all  likelihood 
have  been  the  receptacle  for  broken  glass  and  tin  cans,  and 
a thoroughfare  for  erratic  cats ; here,  however,  everything  was 
clean  and  neat,  — and  this  narrow  plot  of  ground,  good  for 
no  other  purpose,  had  been  utilized  solely  for  the  benefit  of  the 
room  within. 


PONDS. 


285 


tea 


Or 


Reference  has  been  made  to  the  ponds  and  brooks  as  desir- 
able features  in  garden-making.  Where  water  is  not  obtainable 
for  the  purpose,  or  possibly  for  the  ingenuity  of  the  idea,  the 
Japanese  sometimes  make  a deceptive  pond,  which  is  absolutely 
destitute  of  water ; so  perfectly,  however,  are  the  various  features 
of  the  pond  carried  out,  that  the  effect  of  water  is  produced  by 
the  illusion  of  association.  The  pond  is  laid  out  in  an  irregular- 
outline,  around  the  border  of 
which  plant-pots  buried  out  of 
sight  contain  the  iris  and  a 
number  of  plants  which  nat- 
urally abound  near  wet  shores. 

The  bottom  of  the  pond  is 
lined  with  little  gray  pebbles, 
and  a rustic  bridge  leads  to  a 
little  island  in  the  centre.  The 
appearance  of  this  dry  pond 
from  the  verandah  is  most  de- 
ceptive. 

The  real  ponds  contain 
either  lotus  or  other  aquatic 
plants,  or  they  may  be  given 
up  to  turtles  or  gold-fish,  and 
are  oftentimes  very  elaborately 
laid  out  with  rustic,  wooden, 
or  stone  bridges.  Little  prom- 
ontories with  stone  lanterns 
standing  at  their  ends  like 

miniature  light-houses,  rustic  arbors  or  seats,  trellises  above 
supporting  a luxuriant  growth  of  wistaria,  and  tortuous  pines 
with  long  branches  reaching  out  over  the  water,  are  a few  of 
the  many  features  which  add  so  much  to  that  peculiar  charm, 
ho  characteristic  of  Japanese  gardens. 


Fig.  275.  — Various  Forms  of  Garden 
Paths. 


286  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

The  pathways  of  stone  are  of  many  kinds.  Sometimes  the 
slabs  of  stone  may  be  finished  squarely,  and  then  each  may 
be  arranged  in  line  across  the  path,  or  adjusted  in  such  a way 
from  one  side  to  the  other  that  a zigzag  path  is  made ; in 
other  cases  the  path  may  consist  of  long  slabs  squarely 
trimmed,  or  of  large  irregular  slabs  interrupted  with  little 
stones,  all  compacted  into  the  hard  earth.  Fig.  275,  copied 
from  “ Chikusan  Teizoden,”  shows  some  of  these  arrangements  ; 
and  an  idea  of  the  way  in  which  the  stone  paths  are  laid  out 
is  well  illustrated  in  figs.  283  and  284  (pp.  291,  292),  copied 
from  the  same  work.  The  entrance  from  the  street  is  seen  at 
the  left.  The  stone  path  leads  through  a courtyard  to  a second 
gate,  and  from  thence  to  the  genka , or  entrance  to  the  house. 

Flowers,  shrubs,  and  dwarf  trees  in  pots  and  tubs  are  com- 
monly used  in  the  vicinity  of  the  verandah,  and  also  about 

the  garden  for  decora- 


Fig.  276. — Wooden  Trough  for  Plants.  „ „ , ? 

from  a fragment  ot  an 

old  shipwreck,  blackened  by  age,  and  mounted  on  a dark  wood- 
stand.  In  this  trough  are  two  stones,  a bronze  crab,  and  a few 
aquatic  plants.  Another  wooden  flower-pot  of  large  size  (fig. 
277)  is  made  from  the  planks  of  an  old  vessel,  the  wood  per- 
forated by  Teredo,  and  the  grain  deeply  worn  out  by  age.  Its 
form  permits  it  to  be  carried  by  two  men. 

Among  the  most  -extraordinary  objects  connected  with  gar- 
dens are  the  dwarf  plum-trees.  Before  the  evidence  of  life 


five  features ; and  here 
tasteful  and  rustic  effects 
are  sought  for  in  the  de- 
sign and  material  of  the 
larger  wooden  recepta- 
cles. Fig.  276  represents 
a shallow  trough  made 


DWARF-TREES  AND  FLOWER-POTS. 


287 


appears  in  the  blooming,  one  would  certainly  believe  that  a 
collection  of  dwarf  plum-trees  were  simply  fragments  of  old 
blackened  and  distorted  branches  or  roots,  — as  if  fragments 
of  dead  wood  bad  been  selected  for  the  purpose  of  grotesque 
display ! Indeed,  nothing  more  hopeless  for  flowers  or  life  could 
be  imagined  than  the 
appearance  of  these  ir- 
regular, flattened,  and 
even  perforated  sticks 
and  stumps.  They  are 
kept  in  the  house  on 
the  sunny  side,  and 
while  the  snow  is  yet 
on  the  ground,  send  out 
long,  delicate  drooping 
twigs,  which  are  soon 
strung  with  a wealth  of  Fjg-  277.  — Plant-pot  or  old  Plank. 

the  most  beautiful  rosy- 

tinted  blossoms  it  is  possible  to  conceive ; and,  curiously  enough, 
not  a trace  of  a green  leaf  appears  during  all  this  luxuriant 
blossoming. 

Fig.  278  is  an  attempt  to  show  the  appearance  of  one  of 
these  phenomenal  plum-trees.  It  was  over  forty  years  old, 
and  stood  about  three  feet  high.  By  what  horticultural  sorcery 
life  had  been  kept  in  this  blackened  stump,  only  a Japanese 
gardener  knows.  And  such  a vitality ! Not  a few  feeble  twigs 
and  blossoms  as  an  expiring  effort,  but  a delicious  growth  of 
the  most  vigorous  and  dainty  flowers.  The  pines  are  equally 
remarkable  in  their  way.  It  is  very  curious  to  see  a sturdy 
old  pine-tree,  masculine  and  gruff  in  its  gnarled  branches  and 
tortuous  trunk,  perhaps  forty  or  fifty  years  old,  and  yet  not 
over  two  feet  in  height,  and  growing  in  a flower-pot ; or  a thick 
chunk  of  pine  standing  upright  in  a flower-pot,  and  sending  out 


288  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIli  SURROUNDINGS. 


vigorous  branches  covered  with  leaves  (fig.  279),  and  others 
trained  in  ways  that  seem  incredible. 

In  a large  garden  in  Tokio  I saw  one  of  these  trees  that 
spread  out  in  a symmetrical  convex  disk  with  a diameter  of 

twenty  feet  or  more,  yet  standing 


Fig.  278  —Dwarf  Plum.  Fig.  279.  — Dwarf  Pine. 


not  over  two  feet  in  height  (fig.  280) ; still  another  one,  in 
which  the  branches  had  been  trained  to  assume  the  appearance 
of  flattened  disks  (fig.  281).  It  would  seem  as  if  the  artistic 
and  picturesque  taste  of  the  gardener  followed  the  shrubs  even 


to  their  winter  shrouds  of  straw ; for  when  they  are  enwrapped 
for  the  winter’s  cold  and  snow,  the  objects  even  in  this  guise 
look  quaint  and  attractive,  besides  being  most  thoroughly  pro- 
tected, as  may  be  seen  by  fig.  282  on  page  290. 


DWARF-TREES  AND  FLOWER-POTS.  289 

In  this  brief  sketch  of  Japanese  gardens  only  the  more  sa- 
lient features  have  been  touched  upon,  and  these  only  in  the  most 
general  way.  It  would  have  been  more  proper  to  have  included 
the  ornamental  fences,  more  especially  the  sode-gaki,  in  this  chap- 


ter. It  was  deemed  best,  however,  to  include  fences  of  all  kinds 
under  one  heading ; and  this  has  been  done  in  a previous  chapter. 
The  rustic  wells,  which  add  so  much  to  garden  effects,  might 
with  equal  propriety  have  been  incorporated  here ; but  for  simi- 
lar reasons  it  was  thought  best  to  include  with  the  wells  the 


19 


290  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


few  brief  allusions  to  water  supply  and  village  aqueducts,  — and 
these  subjects  are  therefore  brought  together  under  one  heading- 
in  the  chapter  which  is  to  follow. 


In  this  chapter  on  gardens,  I regret  the  absence  of  general 
sketches  of  the  garden  proper  ; but  the  few  sketches  I had  made- 
were  too  imperfect  to  hazard  an  attempt  at  their  reproduction. 
Moreover,  not  the  slightest  justice  could  have  been  done  to- 

the  thoroughly  original  character 
of  the  Japanese  garden,  with  all 
its  variety  and  beauty.  In  lieu  of 
this,  however,  I have  had  repro- 
duced a number  of  views  of  pri- 
vate gardens,  from  a Japanese 
work  on  the  subject  published  in 
the  early  part  of  the  last  cen- 
tury, — though,  so  far  as  their 
general  arrangement  and  appear- 
ance go,  they  might  have  been 
copied  from  gardens  to  be  seen  in 
that  country  to-day. 

The  first  illustration  (fig.  283} 
shows  the  relation  of  the  va- 
rious buildings,  with  the  approaches  from  the  street,  which  is- 
on  the  left.  Here  are  seen  two  gateways : the  larger  one 
with  swinging  gates  is  closed ; the  smaller  one  with  sliding: 
gate  is  open.  The  building  with  the  two  little  windows  and 
black  foundation  is  the  knra.  The  pathway,  of  irregular  slabs 
of  stone,  leads  around  the  sides  of  the  hura  to  a second  gate- 
way ; and  beyond  this  the  stone  path  continues  to  the  genka,  or 


Tig.  282.  — Shrubs  wrapped  in  Straw 
por  Winter. 


main  entrance  to  the  dwelling. 


The  drawing  is  a curious  ad- 


mixture of  isometric  and  linear  perspective,  with  some  violent 
displacements  in  point  of  sight  and  vanishing  points,  in  order  to 


Eig.  283,  Showing  Approaches  to  House.  (Reproduced  from  “Chikusan  Teizoden,”  a Japanese  Work.) 


VIEWS  OF  PRIVATE  GARDENS. 


29} 


202  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIIi  SURROUNDINGS. 


show  fully  the  various  details  within  the  limits  of  the  plate. 
The  other  illustrations  represent  respectively  a little  garden  be- 


|)|| 

Iirj*  irtl 


Fig.  284.  — Little  Garden  belonging  to  the  Priests  of  a Buddhist  Temple. 
(Reproduced  prom  “ Chikusan  Teizoden,”  a Japanese  Work.) 


longing  to  the  priests’  house  of  a Buddhist  temple  (fig.  284),  a 
garden  connected  with  the  house  of  a merchant  (fig.  285 ; the 
legend  says  the  owner  is  a dealer  in  dress  materials  and  cot- 


VIEWS  OF  PRIVATE  GARDENS. 


293 


294  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


Fig.  286.  — Garden  of  a Daimio.  (Reproduced  from  “Chikusan  Teizoden,”  a Japanese  Worn.) 


VIEWS  OF  Fit IV ATE  GARDENS. 


295 


tons),  and  a garden  connected  with  the  residence  of  a Daimio 
(fig.  286).  All  of  these  gardens  were  to  be  found  in  Sakai, 
Idzumi,  nearly  two  hundred  years  ago,  and  the  more  enduring 
features  of  some  of  them  may  still  be  in  existence.  A study 
of  these  quaint  drawings  will  enable  the  reader  to  recognize 
the  ornamental  fences,  quaint  rocks,  rustic  wells,  ishi-dord , 
chodzu-bachi,  stone  pathways,  and  curious  trees  and  shrubs  so 
characteristic  of  the  Japanese  garden,  and  so  utterly  unlike 
anything  with  which  we  are  familiar  in  the  geometrical  patches 
we  are  wont  to  regard  as  gardens. 

It  is  a remarkable  fact  that  the  various  trees  and  shrubs 
which  adorn  a Japanese  garden  may  be  successfully  transplanted 
again  and  again  without  impairing  their  vitality.  Trees  of  very 
large  size  may  be  seen,  almost  daily,  being  dragged  through  the 
streets  on  their  way  from  one  garden  to  another.  A man  may 
have  a vigorous  and  healthy  garden  under  way  in  the  space  of 
a few  days,  — trees  forty  or  fifty  feet  high,  and  as  many  years 
old,  sturdy  shrubs  and  tender  plants,  all  possessing  a vitality 
and  endurance  under  the  intelligent  management  of  a Japanese 
gardener,  which  permits  them  to  be  transported  from  one  end 
of  the  city  to  the  other.  If  for  some  reason  the  owner  has 
to  give  up  his  place,  every  stone  and  ornamental  fence,  and 
every  tree  and  plant  having  its  commercial  value,  may  all  be 
dug  up  and  sold  and  spirited  away,  in  a single  day,  to  some 
other  part  of  the  town.  And  such  a vicissitude  often  falls  to 
the  lot  of  a Japanese  garden,  enduring  as  it  is.  The  whole 
affair,  save  the  circular  well-hole,  may  be  transported  like 
magic  from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


MISCELLANEOUS  MATTERS. 


Wells  and  Water-Supply. — Flowers.  — Interior  Adornments.  — Precautions 
against  Fire. — Houses  op  Foreign  Style. — Absence  of  Monuments. 


w ITH  the  exception  of  a few  *of  the  larger  cities,  the  water- 
supply  of  Japan  is  by  means  of  wooden  wells  sunk  in  the 
ground.  In  Tokio,  besides  the  ordinary  forms  of  wells  which  are 
found  in  every  portion  of  the  city,  there  is  a system  of  aqueducts 
conveying  water  from  the  Tamagawa  a distance  of  twenty-four 
miles,  and  from  Kanda  a distance  of  ten  miles  or  more.  It  is 
hardly  within  the  province  of  this  work  to  call  attention  to  the 
exceeding  impurity  of  much  of  the  well-water  in  Tokio  and 
elsewhere  in  Japan,  as  shown  by  many  analyses,  or  to  the  im- 
perfect way  in  which  water  is  conveyed  from  remote  places  to 
Tokio  and  Yokohama.  For  valuable  and  interesting  papers  on 
this  subject  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  Journal  of  the  Asiatic 
Society  of  Japan.1 


1 Professor  Atkinson,  in  tlie  Journal  of  the  Asiatic  Society,  vol.  vi.  part  i.;  Dr.  Geertsv 
ibid.,  vol.  vii.  part  iii. 

Dr.  0.  Korschelt  has  made  an  extremely  valuable  contribution  to  the  Asiatic  Society 
of  Japan,  on  the  water-supply  of  Tokio.  Aided  by  Japanese  students,  he  has  made  many 
analyses  of  well-waters  and  waters  from  the  city  supply,  and  shows  that,  contrary  to  the 
conclusions  of  Professor  Atkinson,  the  high-ground  wells  are  on  the  whole  much  purer 
than  those  on  lower  ground.  Dr.  Korschelt  also  calls  attention  to  the  great  number  of 
artesian  wells  sunk  in  Tokio,  by  means  of  bamboo  tubes  driven  into  the  ground.  The 
ordinary  form  of  well  is  carried  down  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  the  usual  way,  and  then 
at  the  bottom  bamboo  tubes  are  driven  to  great  depths,  ranging  from  one  hundred  to 
two  hundred  feet  and  more.  He  speaks  of  a number  of  these  wells  in  Tokio  and 
the  suburbs  as  overflowing.  There  is  one  well  not  far  from  the  Tokio  Daigaku  which 
overflows ; and  a very  remarkable  sight  it  is  to  see  the  water  pouring  over  a high 


WELLS  AND  WATER-SUPPLY. 


297 


The  aqueducts  in  the  city  are  made  of  wood,  either  in  the 
shape  of  heavy  square  plank  tubes  or  circular  wooden  pipes. 
These  various  conductors  are  intersected  by  open  wells,  in  which 
the  water  finds  its  natural  level,  only  partially  filling  them. 
These  wells  are  to  be  found  in  the  main  streets  as  well  as  in 
certain  open  areas ; and  to  them  the  people  come,  not  only  to 
get  their  water,  but  often  to  do  light  washing. 

The  time  must  soon  come  when  the  authorities  of  Tokio  will 
find  it  absolutely  necessary  to  establish  water-works  for  the 
supply  of  the  city.  Such  a change  from  the  present  system 
would  require  an  enormous  expenditure  at  the  outset,  but  in  the 


end  the  community  will  be  greatly  benefited,  not  only  in  having 
more  efficient  means  to  quell  the  awful  conflagrations  which  so 
frequently  devastate  their  thoroughfares,  but  also  in  having  a 
more  healthful  water-supply  for  family  use.  In  their  present 
imperfect  method  of  water-service  it  is  impossible  to  keep  the 
supply  free  from  local  contamination ; and  though  the  death- 
rate  of  the  city  is  low  compared  with  that  of  many  European 

well- curb  arul  flooding  the  ground  in  the  vicinity.  He  shows  that  pure  water  may  be 
reached  in  most  parts  of  Tokio  by  means  of  artesian  wells;  and  to  this  source  the  city 
must  ultimately  look  for  its  water-supply. 

For  further  particulars  concerning  this  subject,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Dr.  Korschelt’s 
valuable  paper  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan,  vol.  xii.  part  iii., 
p.  143. 


298  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


and  American  cities,  it  would  certainly  be  still  further  reduced 
by  pure  water  made  available  to  all. 

In  many  country  villages,  where  the  natural  conditions  exist, 
a mountain  brook  is  conducted  by  a rock-bound  canal  through 
the  centre  of  the  village  street ; and  thus  the  water  for  culinary 
and  other  purposes  is  brought  directly  to  the  door  of  every 
house  on  that  street. 

The  wells  are  made  in  the  shape  of  barrels  of  stout  staves 
five  or  six  feet  in  height.  These  taper  slightly  at  their  lower 
ends,  and  are  fitted  one  within  another ; and  as  the  well  is  dug 
deeper  the  sections  are  adjusted  and  driven  down.  Wells  of 
great  depth  are  often  sunk  in  this  way.  The  well  made  in 
this  manner  has  the  appearance,  as  it  projects  above  the  ground, 


287.  The  Chinese  character  for  “well”  is  in  the  shape  of  this 
frame ; and  as  one  rides  through  the  city  or  village  he  will  often 
notice  this  character  painted  on  the  side  of  a house  or  over  a 
door-way,  indicating  that  in  the  rear,  or  within  the  house,  a 
well  is  to  be  found.  A picturesque  well-curb  of  stone,  made 
after  this  form,  is  shown  in  fig.  288,  from  a private  garden 
in  Tokio. 

While  the  water  is  usually  brought  up  by  means  of  a bucket 
attached  to  the  end  of  a long  bamboo,  there  are  various  forms 
of  frames  erected  over  the  well  to  support  a pulley,  in  which 


of  an  ordinary  barrel 
or  hogshead  partially 
buried. 


Fig.  288. — Stone  Well-curb  in  Private  Garden 
in  Tokio. 


Stone  curbs  of  a 
circular  form  are  oft- 
en seen.  An  ancient 
form  of  well-curb  is  a 
square  frame,  made  of 
thick  timber  in  the 
shape  shown  in  fig. 


WELLS  AND  WATER-SUPPLY. 


299 


runs  a rope  with  a bucket  attached  to  each  end.  Fig.  289  is 
an  illustration  of  one  of  these  frames.  Sometimes  the  trunk 
of  a tree  is  made  to  do  service,  as  shown  in  fig  290.  In  this 
case  the  old  trunk  was  densely  covered  with  a rich  growth  of 
Japanese  ivy. 

In  the  country  kitchen  the  well  is  often  within  the  house, 
as  shown  in  the  sketch  fig.  167  (page  186).  In  the  country, 
as  well  as  in  the  city,  the  regular  New  England  well-sweep 


is  now  and  then  seen.  In  the 


Fig.  289. — Wooden  Well-frame.  Fig.  290. — Rustic  Well-frajie. 


southern  part  of  Japan  particularly  the  well-sweep  is  very  com- 
mon ; one  is  shown  in  the  picture  of  a southern  house  (fig.  54, 
page  73). 

There  are  many  ways  of  conveying  water  to  villages  by 
bamboo  pipes.  In  Kioto  many  places  are  supplied  by  water 
brought  in  this  way  from  the  mountain  brooks  back  of  the 
city.  At  Miyajima,  on  the  Inland  Sea,  water  is  brought,  by 
means  of  bamboo  pipes,  from  a mountain  stream  at  the  western 
end  of  the  village.  The  water  is  first  conveyed  to  a single 
shallow  tank,  supported  on  a rough  pedestal  of  rock.  The  tank 
A perforated  at  intervals  along  its  sides  and  on  its  end,  and 


300  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

by  means  of  bamboo  gutters  the  water  is  conveyed  to  bamboo 
tubes  standing  vertically,  — each  bamboo  having  at  its  top  a box 
or  bucket,  in  which  is  a grating  of  bamboo  to  screen  the  water 
from  the  leaves  and  twigs.  These  bamboo  tubes  are  connected 
with  a system  of  bamboo  tubes  under-ground,  and  these  lead 
to  the  houses  in  the  village  street  below.  Fig.  291  is  an  illus- 
tration of  this  structure.  It  was  an  old  and  leaky  affair,  but 
formed  a picturesque  mass  beside  the  mountain  road,  covered 
as  it  was  by  a rich  growth  of  ferns  and  mosses,  and  brightened 
by  the  water  dripping  from  all  points. 


Fig.  291.  — Aqueduct  Reservoir  at  Miyajima,  Aki. 


Just  beyond  this  curious  reservoir  I saw  a group  of  small 
aqueducts,  evidently  for  the  supply  of  single  houses.  Fig.  292 
illustrates  one  of  a number  of  these  seen  along  the  road. 
Fig.  293  represents  one  of  the  old  wells  still  seen  in  the  Kaga 
Yashiki,  in  Tokio,  — an  inclosure  of  large  extent  formerly  occu- 
pied by  the  Daimio  of  Kaga,  but  now  overgrown  with  bamboo 
grass  and  tangled  bushes,  while  here  and  there  evidences  of 
its  former  beauty  are  seen  in  neglected  groves  of  trees  and  in 


WELLS  AND  WATER-SUPPLY. 


301 


picturesque  ponds  choked  with  plant  growth.  The  buildings  of 
the  Tokio  Medical  College  and  Hospital  occupy  one  portion  of 
the  ground ; and  the  new  brick  building  of  the  Tokio  Univer- 
sity, a few  dwellings  for  its  foreign  teachers,  and  a small  oh' 
servatory  form  another 
group. 

Scattered  over  this 
large  inclosure  are  a 
number  of  treacherous 
holes  guarded  only  by 
fences  painted  black. 

These  are  the  remains 
of  wells ; and  by  their 


number  one  gets  a faint 
idea  of  the  dense  com- 
munity that  filled  this 

area  in  the  days  of  the  Shogunate.  During  the  Revolution  the- 
houses  were  burned,  and  with  them  the  wooden  curbs  of  the 

wells,  and  for  many  years 
these  deep  holes  formed 
dreadful  pitfalls  in  the  long 
grass. 

The  effect  of  rusticity 
which  the  Japanese  so  much 
admire,  and  which  they  show 
in  their  gateways,  fences, 
and  other  surroundings,  is 
charmingly  carried  out  in  the 
wells;  and  the  presence  of 
a well  in  a garden  is  looked 


Fig.  293.  — Wkll  in  Kaga  Yashiki,  Tokio- 

upon  as  adding  greatly  to  its 
beauty.  Hence,  one  sees  quaint  and  picturesque  curbs,  either 
of  stone  and  green  with  plant  growth,  or  of  wood  and  fairly 


302  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


dropping  to  pieces  with  decay.  One  sees  literally  a moss- 
covered  bucket  and  well,  too ; but,  alas ! the  water  is  not  the 
cold,  pure  fluid  which  a New  Englander  is  accustomed  to  draw 
from  similar  places  at  home,  but  often  a water  far  from  whole- 
some, and  which  to  make  so  is  generally  boiled  before  drink- 
ing. We  refer  now  to  the  city  wells;  and  yet  the  country 
wells  are  quite  as  liable  to  contamination. 

Having  described  in  the  previous  pages  the  permanent  fea- 
tures of  the  house  and  its  surroundings,  a few  pages  may  be 
properly  added  concerning  those  objects  which  are  hung  upon 
the  walls  as  adornments.  A few  objects  of  household  use  have 
been  mentioned,  such  as  pillows,  hibachi,  tabako-bon,  lamps, 
candlesticks,  and  towel-racks,  as  naturally  associated  with  the 
mats,  kitchen,  bathing  conveniences,  etc.  Any  further  consid- 
eration of  these  movable  objects  would  lead  us  into  a discus- 
sion of  the  bureaus,  chests,  baskets,  trays,  dishes,  and  the 
whole  range  of  domestic  articles  of  use,  and  might,  indeed, 
furnish  material  enough  for  another  volume. 

A few  pages,  however,  must  be  added  on  the  adornments 
of  the  room,  and  the  principles  which  govern  the  Japanese  in 
these  matters  As  flowers  form  the  most  universal  decoration 
of  the  rooms  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  classes,  these  will 
be  first  considered. 

The  love  of  flowers  is  a national  trait  of  the  Japanese.  It 
would  be  safe  to  say  that  in  no  other  part  of  the  world  is 
the  love  of  flowers  so  universally  shown  as  in  Japan.  For 
pictorial  illustration  flowers  form  one  of  the  most  common 
themes ; and  for  decorative  art  in  all  its  branches  flowers,  in 
natural  or  conventional  shapes,  are  selected  as  the  leading 
motive.  In  their  light  fabrics,  — embroidery,  pottery,  lacquers, 
wall-papers,  fans,  — and  even  in  their  metal  work  and  bronzes, 
these  charming  and  perishable  objects  are  constantly  depicted  and 


FLOWERS. 


303 


wrought.  In  their  social  life,  also,  these  things  are  always 
present.  From  birth  to  death,  flowers  are  in  some  way  asso- 
ciated with  the  daily  life  of  the  Japanese  ; and  for  many 
years  after  their  death  their  graves  continue  to  receive  fresh 
floral  tributes. 

A room  in  the  very  humblest  of  houses  will  have  in  its 
place  of  honor  — the  tokonoma  — a flower-vase,  or  a section  of 
bamboo  hanging  from  its  side,  or  some  form  of  receptacle  sus- 
pended from  the  open  portion  of  the  room  above,  or  in  front 
of  some  ornamental  opening  in  which  flowers  are  displayed. 

On  the  street  one  often  meets  the  flower  vendor ; and  at  night, 

flower  fairs  are  one  of  the  most  common  attractions. 

The  arrangement  of  flowers  forms  a part  of  the  polite  edu- 
cation of  the  Japanese,  and  special  rules  and  methods  for  their 
.appropriate  display  have  their  schools  and  teachers.  Within 
the  house  there  are  special  places  where  it  is  proper  to  dis- 
play flowers.  In  the  tokonoma,  as  we  have  said,  is  generally 
a vase  of  bronze  or  pottery  in  which  flowers  are  placed, — 
not  the  heterogeneous  mass  of  color  comprised  in  a jumble 
of  flowers,  as  is  too  often  the  case  with  us ; but  a few  flowers 

of  one  kind,  or  a big  branch  of  cherry  or  plum  blossoms  are 

quite  enough  to  satisfy  the  refined  tastes  of  these  people. 
Here,  as  in  other  matters,  the  Japanese  show  their  sense  of 
propriety  and  infinite  refinement.  They  most  thoroughly  abom- 
inate our  slovenly  methods,  whereby  a clump  of  flowers  of 
heterogeneous  colors  are  packed  and  jammed  together,  with 
no  room  for  green  leaves : tills  we  call  a bouquet ; and  very 
properly,  since  it  resembles  a ball,  — a variegated  worsted 
ball.  These  people  believe  in  the  healthy  contrast  of  rough 
brown  stem  and  green  leaves,  to  show  off  by  texture  and 
color  the  matchless  life-tones  of  the  delicate  petals.  We, 
however,  in  our  stupidity  are  too  often  accustomed  to  tear  off 
the  flowers  that  Nature  has  so  deftly  arranged  on  their  own 


304  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  T1IEIE  SURROUNDINGS. 


wood  stems,  and  then  with  thread  and  bristling  wire  to  fabri- 
cate a feeble  resemblance  to  the  milliner’s  honest  counterfeit 
of  cloth  and  paper  ; and  by  such  treatment,  at  the  end  of  a few 
hours,  we  have  a mass  equally  lifeless. 

In  their  flower-vases,  too,  they  show  the  most  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  contrasts.  To  any  one  of  taste  it  is  unnecessary  to 
show  how  inappropriate  our  gilt  and  often  brilliantly  colored 
flower-vases  are  for  the  objects  they  are  to  hold.  By  employ- 
ing such  receptacles,  all  effects  of  color  and  pleasing  contrasts- 
are  effectually  ruined.  The  Japanese  flower-vase  is  often  made 
of  the  roughest  and  coarsest  pottery,  with  rough  patches  of 
glaze  and  irregular  contour;  it  is  made  solid  and  heavy,  with 
a good  bottom,  and  is  capable  of  holding  a big  cherry  branch 
without  up-setting.  Its  very  roughness  shows  off  by  contrast 
the  delicate  flowers  it  holds.  With  just  such  rough  material  as 
we  use  in  the  making  of  drain-tiles  and  molasses  jugs,  the  Japan- 
ese make  the  most  fascinating  and  appropriate  flower-vases ; but 
their  potters  are  artists,  and,  alas ! ours  are  not. 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  our 
country,  artists,  and  others  having  artistic  tastes,  have  always- 
recognized  the  importance  of  observing  proper  contrasts  between 
flowers  and  their  holders,  and  until  within  a very  few  years 
have  been  forced,  for  want  of  better  receptacles,  to  arrange 
flowers  in  German  pottery-mugs,  Chinese  ginger-jars,  and  the 
like.  Though  these  vessels  were  certainly  inappropriate  enough, 
the  flowers  looked  vastly  prettier  in  them  than  they  ever  could 
in  the  frightful  wares  designed  expressly  to  hold  them,  made  by 
American  and  European  manufacturers.  What  a satire  on  our 
art  industries,  — a despairing  resort  to  beer-mugs,  ginger-jars 
and  blacking-pots,  for  suitable  flower-vases ! Who  does  not 
recall,  indeed  cannot  see  to-day  on  the  shelves  of  most  “ crockery 
shops,”  a hideous  battalion  of  garish  porcelain  and  iniquitous- 
parian  vases,  besides  other  multitudinous  evidences  of  utter 


FLOWERS. 


305 


ignorance  as  to  what  a flower-vase  should  he,  in  the  discordantly 
colored  and  decorated  glass  receptacles  designed  to  hold  these 
daintiest  bits  of  Nature’s  handiwork  ? 

Besides  the  flower-vase  made  to  stand  on  the  floor,  the  Japan- 
ese have  others  which  are  made  to  hang  from  a hook,  — gener- 
ally from  the  post  or  partition  that  divides  the  tokonoma  from 
its  companion  recess,  or  sometimes  from  a corner-post.  When 
a permanent  partition  occurs  in  a room,  it  is  quite  proper  to 
hang  the  vase  from  the  middle  post.  In  all  these  cases  it 
is  hung  midway  between  the  floor  and 
the  ceiling.  These  hanging  flower- 
vases  are  infinite  in  form  and  design, 
and  are  made  of  pottery,  bronze,  bam- 
boo, or  wood.  Those  made  of  pottery 
and  bronze  may  be  in  the  form  of 
simple  tubes  ; often,  however,  natural 
forms  are  represented,  — such  as  fishes, 
insects,  sections  of  bamboo,  and  the 
like. 

The  Japanese  are  fond  of  ancient 
•objects,  and  jars  which  have  been  dug 
up  are  often  mutilated,  at  least  for 
the  antiquarian,  by  having  rings  in- 
serted in  their  sides  so  that  they  may 
be  hung  up  for  flower-holders. 

A curious  form  of  holder  is  made  out  of  a rugged  knot  of 
wood.  Any  quaint  and  abnormal  growth  of  wood,  in  which  an 
opening  can  be  made  big  enough  to  accommodate  a section  of 
bamboo  to  hold  the  water,  is  used  for  a flower-vase.  Such  an 
object  will  be  decorated  with  tiny  bronze  ants,  a silver  spider’s 
web  with  bronze  spider,  and  pearl  wrought  in  the  shape  of  a 
fungus.  These  and  other  singular  caprices  are  worked  into 
and  upon  the  wood  as  ornaments. 

20 


Fig.  294.  — Hanging  Flower- 
holder  of  Bamboo. 


30G  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


A very  favorite  form  of  flower-holder  is  one  mad& 
of  bamboo.  The  bamboo  tube  is  worked  in  a va- 
riety of  ways,  by  cutting  out  various  sections  front 
the  sides.  Fig.  294  represents  an  odd,  yet  com- 


Eig.  295.  — Hanging  Flower-holder  of  Basket-work. 


mon  shape,  arranged  for  cha-no-yu  (tea-parties),  and  sketched  at 
one  of  these  parties.  The  bamboo  is  an  admirable  receptacle  for 
water,  and  a section  of  it  is  used  for  this  purpose  in  many 
forms  of  pottery  and  bronze  flower-holders. 


FLOWERS. 


307 


Rich  brown-colored  baskets  are  also  favorite  receptacles  for 
flowers,  a segment  of  bamboo  being  used  to  hold  the  water. 
The  accompanying  figure  (fig.  295)  is  a sketch  of  a hanging 
basket,  the  flowers  having  been  arranged  by  a lover  of  the 
tea-ceremonies  and  old  pottery.  Many  of  these  baskets  are  quite 
old,  and  are  highly  prized  by  the  Japanese.  At  the  street 
flower-fairs  cheap  and  curious  devices  are 
often  seen  for  holding  flower-pots.  The  an- 
nexed figure  (fig.  296)  illustrates  a form  of 
bracket  in  which  a thin  irregular-shaped 
slab  of  wood  has  attached  to  it  a crooked 
branch  of  a tree,  upon  the  free  ends  of  which 
wooden  blocks  are  secured  as  shelves  upon 
which  the  flower-pots  are  to  rest.  A hole  is 
made  at  the  top  so  that  it  may  be  hung 
against  the  wall,  and  little  cleats  are  fast- 
ened crosswise  to  hold  long  strips  of  stiff 
paper,  upon  which  it  is  customary  to  write 
stanzas  of  poetry.  These  objects  are  of 
the  cheapest  description,  can  be  got  for  a 
few  pennies,  and  are  bought  by  the  poorest 
classes. 

For  flower-holders  suspended  from  above, 
a common  form  is  a square  wooden  bucket, 
or  one  made  out  of  pottery  or  bronze  in  imi- 
tation of  this  form.  Bamboo  cut  in  hori- 
zontal forms  is  also  used  for  suspended  flower-holders.  Indeed, 
there  seems  to  be  no  end  of  curious  objects  used  for  this  pur- 
pose, — a gourd,  the  semi-cylindrical  tile,  sea-shells,  as  with  us, 
and  forms  made  in  pottery  or  bronze  in  imitation  of  these 
objects. 

Quaint  and  odd-shaped  flower-stands  are  made  in  the  form 
of  buckets.  The  following  figure  (fig.  297)  represents  one 


Fig.  296. 

Cheap  Bracket  for 
Flower-pots. 


308  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  TIIEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

sketched  at  the  National  Exposition  at  Tokio  in  1877.  Its 
construction  was  very  ingenious ; three  staves  of  the  lower 
bucket  were  continued  upward  to  form  portions  of  three  smaller 
buckets  above,  and  each  of  these,  in  turn,  contributed  a stave  to 
the  single  bucket  that  crowned  the  whole.  Another  form,  made 

by  the  same  contributor  though 
not  so  symmetrical,  was  quite  as 
odd. 

Curious  little  braided-straw  af- 
fairs are  made  to  hold  flowers,  or 
rather  the  bamboo  segments  in 
which  the  flowers  are  kept.  These 
are  made  in  the  form  of  insects, 
fishes,  mushrooms,  and  other  nat- 
ural objects.  These  are  mentioned, 
not  that  they  have  a special  merit, 
but  to  illustrate  the  devices  used 
by  the  common  people  in  decorat- 
ing their  homes.  Racks  of  wood 
richly  lacquered  are  also  used,  from 
which  hanging  flower-holders  are 

suspended.  These  objects  are  rare- 
Fig.  297.  — Curious  Combination  of  . . . . 

Buckets  for  Flowers.  seen  110W>  and  1 have  never 

chanced  to  see  one  in  use. 

In  the  chapter  on  Interiors  various  forms  of  vases  are  shown 
in  the  tokonoma. 

My  interest  in  Japanese  homes  was  first,  aroused  by  wishing 
to  know  precisely  what  use  the  Japanese  made  of  a class  of 
■objects  with  which  I had  been  familiar  in  the  Art  Museums 
and  private  collections  at  home ; furthermore,  a study  of  their 
houses  led  me  to  search  for  those  evidences  of  household  deco- 
ration which  might  possibly  parallel  the  hanging  baskets,  corner 


INTERIOR  ADORNMENTS. 


309 


brackets,  and  especially  ornaments  made  of  birch  bark,  fungi, 
moss,  shell-work,  and  the  like,  with  which  our  humbler  homes 
are  often  garnished.  It  was  delightful  to  find  that  the  Japan- 
ese were  susceptible  to  the  charms  embodied  in  these  bits  of 
Nature,  and  that  they  too  used  them  in  similar  decorative  ways. 
At  the  outset,  search  for  an  object  aside  from  the  bare  rooms 
seemed  fruitless  enough.  At  first  sight  these  rooms  appeared 
absolutely  barren ; in  passing  from  one  room  to  another  one 
got  the  idea  that  the  house  was  to  be  let.  Picture  to  yourself 
a room  with  no  fire-place  and  accompanying  mantel,  — that  shelf 
of  shelves  for  the  support  of  pretty  objects  ; no  windows  with 
their  convenient  interspaces  for  the  suspension  of  pictures  or 
brackets  ; no  table,  rarely  even  cabinets,  to  hold  bright-colored 
bindings  and  curious  bric-a-brac  ; no  side-boards  upon  which  to 
array  the  rich  pottery  or  glistening  porcelain ; no  chairs,  desks, 
or  bedsteads,  and  consequently  no  opportunity  for  the  display 
of  elaborate  carvings  or  rich  cloth  coverings.  Indeed,  one  might 
well  wonder  in  what  way  this  people  displayed  their  pretty 
objects  for  household  decorations. 

After  studying  the  Japanese  home  for  a while,  however, 
one  comes  to  realize  that  display  as  such  is  out  of  the  ques- 
tion with  them,  and  to  recognize  that  a severe  Quaker-like  sim- 
plicity is  really  one  of  the  great  charms  of  a Japanese  room. 
Absolute  cleanliness  and  refinement,  with  very  few  objects  in 
sight  upon  which  the  eye  may  rest  contentedly,  are  the  main 
features  in  household  adornment  which  the  Japanese  strive  after, 
and  which  they  attain  with  a simplicity  and  effectiveness  that 
we  can  never  hope  to  reach.  Our  rooms  seem  to  them  like  a 
curiosity  shop,  and  “ stuffy”  to  the  last  degree.  Such  a maze  of 
vases,  pictures,  plaques,  bronzes,  with  shelves,  brackets,  cabinets, 
and  tables  loaded  down  with  bric-a-brac,  is  quite  enough  to  drive 
a Japanese  frantic.  We  parade  in  the  most  unreasoning  manner 
every  object  of  this  nature  in  our  possession ; and  with  the 


310  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


periodical  recurrence  of  birthday  and  Christmas  holidays,  and  the 
consequent  influx  of  new  things,  the  less  pretty  ones  already 
on  parade  are  banished  to  the  chambers  above  to  make  room  for 
the  new  ones  ; and  as  these  in  turn  get  crowded  out  they  rise 
to  the  garret,  there  to  be  providentially  broken  up  by  the  chil- 
dren, or  to  be  preserved  for  future  antiquarians  to  contemplate, 
and  to  ponder  over  the  condition  of  art  in  this  age.  Our  walls, 
are  hung  with  large  fish-plates  which  were  intended  to  hold 
food  ; heavy  bronzes,  which  in  a Japanese  room  are  made  to  rest 
solidly  on  the  floor,  and  to  hold  great  woody  branches  of  the 
plum  or  cherry  with  their  wealth  of  blossoms,  are  with  us  often 
placed  on  high  shelves  or  perched  in  some  perilous  position  over 
the  door.  The  ignorant  display  is  more  rarely  seen  of  thrusting 
a piece  of  statuary  into  the  window,  so  that  the  neighbor  across 
the  way  may  see  it ; when  a silhouette,  cut  out  of  stiff  pasteboard, 
would  in  this  position  answer  all  the  purposes  so  far  as  the 
inmates  are  concerned.  How  often  we  destroy  an  artist’s  best 
efforts  by  exposing  his  picture  against  some  glaring  fresco  or 
distracting  wall-paper  ! And  still  not  content  with  the  accu- 
mulated misery  of  such  a room,  we  allow  the  upholsterer  and 
furnisher  to  provide  us  with  a gorgeously  framed  mirror,  from 
which  we  may  have  flashed  back  at  us  the  contents  of  the  room 
reversed,  or,  more  dreadful  still,  a reverberation  of  these  hor- 
rors through  opposite  reflecting  surfaces,  — a futile  effort  of 
Nature  to  sicken  us  of  the  whole  thing  by  endless  repetition.1 

That  we  in  America  are  not  exceptional  in  these  matters  of 
questionable  furnishing,  one  may  learn  by  listening  to  an  English 
authority  on  this  subject,  — one  who  has  done  more  than  any 
other  writer  in  calling  attention  not  only  to  violations  of  true 
taste  in  household  adornment,  but  who  points  out  in  a most  ra- 
tional way  the  correct  paths  to  follow,  not  only  to  avoid  that 

1 The  pier-glass  is  happily  unknown  in  Japan  ; a small  disk  of  polished  metal  repre- 
sents the  mirror,  and  is  wisely  kept  in  a box  till  needed  1 


INTERIOR  ADORNMENTS. 


311 


which  is  offensive  and  pretentions,  but  to  arrive  at  better 
methods  and  truer  principles  in  matters  of  taste.  We  refer  to> 
Charles  L.  Eastlake  and  his  timely  work  entitled  “ Hints  on 
Household  Taste.”  In  his  animadversions  on  the  commonplace 
taste  shown  in  the  furnishing  of  English  houses,  he  says  “ it 
pervades  and  vitiates  the  judgment  by  which  we  are  accustomed 
to  select  and  approve  the  objects  of  every-day  use  which  we 
see  around  us.  It  crosses  our  path  in  the  Brussels  carpet  of 
our  drawing-room ; it  is  about  our  bed  in  the  shape  of  gaudy 
chintz ; it  compels  us  to  rest  on  chairs,  and  to  sit  at  tables 
which  are  designed  in  accordance  with  the  worst  principles  of 
construction,  and  invested  with  shapes  confessedly  unpictur- 
esque.  It  sends  us  metal-work  from  Birmingham,  which  is  as 
vulgar  in  form  as  it  is  flimsy  in  execution.  It  decorates  the 
finest  modern  porcelain  with  the  most  objectionable  character 
of  ornament.  It  lines  our  walls  with  silly  representations  of 
vegetable  life,  or  with  a mass  of  uninteresting  diaper.  It  bids 
us,  in  short,  furnish  our  houses  after  the  same  fashion  as  we 
dress  ourselves,  — and  that  is  with  no  more  sense  of  real  beauty 
than  if  art  were  a dead  letter.”  Let  us  contrast  our  tastes  in 
these  matters  with  those  of  the  Japanese,  and  perhaps  profit 
by  the  lesson. 

In  the  previous  chapters  sufficient  details  have  been  given 
for  one  to  grasp  the  structural  features  of  a Japanese  room. 
Let  us  now  observe  that  the  general  tone  and  color  of  a Jap- 
anese apartment  are  subdued.  Its  atmosphere  is  restful ; and 
only  after  one  has  sat  on  the  mats  for  some  time  do  the 
unostentatious  fittings  of  the  apartment  attract  one’s  notice. 
The  papers  of  the  fusuma  of  neutral  tints ; the  plastered  sur- 
faces, when  they  occur  equally  tinted  in  similar  tones,  warm 
browns  and  stone-colors  predominating ; the  cedar-board  ceiling, 
with  the  rich  color  of  that  wood ; the  wood-work  everywhere 
modestly  conspicuous,  and  always  presenting  the  natural  colors 


312  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


undefiled  by  the  painter’s  miseries,  — these  all  combine  to  render 
the  room  quiet  and  refined  to  the  last  degree.  The  floor  in 
bright  contrast  is  covered  with  its  cool  straw  matting,  — a uni- 
form bright  surface  set  off  by  the  rectangular  black  borders  of 
the  mats.  It  is  such  an  infinite  comfort  to  find  throughout  the 
length  and  breadth  of  that  Empire  the  floors  covered  with  the 
unobtrusive  straw  matting.  Monotonous  some  would  think : 
yes,  it  has  the  monotony  of  fresh  air  and  of  pure  water.  Such 
a room  requires  but  little  adornment  in  the  shape  of  extrane- 
ous objects ; indeed,  there  are  but  few  places  where  such  ob- 
jects can  be  placed.  But  observe,  that  while  in  our  rooms  one 
is  at  liberty  to  cover  his  wall  with  pictures  without  the  slightest 
regard  to  light  or  effect,  the  Japanese  room  has  a recess  clear 
and  free  from  the  floor  to  the  hooded  partition  that  spans  it 
above,  and  this  recess  is  placed  at  right  angles  to  the  source  of 

light ; furthermore, 
it  is  exalted  as  the 
place  of  highest 
honor  in  the  room, 
— and  here,  and 
here  alone,  hangs 
the  picture.  Not  a 
varnished  affair,  to 
see  which  one  has 
to  perambulate  the 
apartment  with  head  awry  to  get  a vantage  point  of  vision, 
but  a picture  which  may  be  seen  in  its  proper  light  from  any 
point  of  the  room.  In  the  tokonoma  there  is  usually  but  one 
picture  exposed, — though,  as  we  have  seen,  this  recess  may  be 
wide  enough  to  accommodate  a set  of  two  or  three. 

Between  the  kamoi,  or  lintel,  and  the  ceiling  is  a space 
say  of  eighteen  inches  or  more,  according  to  the  height  of 
the  room ; and  here  may  sometimes  be  seen  a long  narrow 


Fig.  298.  — Framed  Picture,  with  Supports. 


INTERIOR  ADORNMENTS. 


313 


picture,  framed  in  a narrow  wood-border,  or  secured  to  a flat 
frame,  which  is  concealed  by  the  paper  or  brocade  that  borders 
the  picture.  This  picture  tips  forward  at  a considerable  angle, 
and  is  supported  on  two  iron  hooks.  In  order  that  the  edge 
of  the  frame  may  not  be  scarred  by  the 
iron,  it  is  customary  to  interpose  tri- 
angular red-crape  cushions.  A bamboo 
support  is  often  substituted  for  the  iron 
hooks,  as  shown  in  the  sketch  (fig.  298). 

The  picture  may  be  a landscape,  or  a 
spray  of  flowers ; but  more  often  it  con- 
sists of  a few  Chinese  characters  em- 
bodying some  bit  of  poetry,  moral 
precept,  or  sentiment, — and  usually  the 
characters  have  been  written  by  some 
poet,  scholar,  or  other  distinguished  man. 

The  square  wooden  post  which  comes 
in  the  middle  of  a partition  between 
two  corners  of  the  room  may  be 
adorned  by  a long,  narrow,  and  thin 
strip  of  cedar  the  width  of  the  post, 
upon  which  is  painted  a picture  of  some 
kind.  This  strip,  instead  of  being  of 
wood,  may  be  of  silk  and  brocade,  like 
a kake-mono,  having  only  one  kaze-obi 
hanging  in  the  middle  from  above.  Fig.299.— Hashiiu  kakushi. 
Cheap  ones  may  be  of  straw,  rush,  or 

thin  strips  of  bamboo.  This  object,  of  whatever  material,  is 
called  hashira  kakushi,  — literally  meaning  “ post-hide.”  If  of 
wood,  both  sides  are  decorated ; so  that  after  one  side  has  done 
duty  for  awhile  the  other  side  is  exposed.  The  wood  is  usually 
of  dark  cedar  evenly  grained,  and  the  sketch  is  painted  directly 
on  the  wood.  Fig.  299  shows  both  sides  of  one  of  these  strips. 


O O 


314  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

The  decoration  for  t-liese  objects  is  very  skilfully  treated  by  the 
artist ; and  while  it  might  bother  our  artists  to  know  what 
subject  to  select  for  a picture  on  so  awkward  and  limited  a 
surface,  it  offers  no  trouble  to  the  Japanese  decorator.  He 
simply  takes  a vertical  slice  out  of  some  good  subject,  as 
one  might  get  a glimpse  of  Nature  through  a slightly  open 
door,  — and  imagination  is  left  to  supply  the  rest.  These 
objects  find  their  way  to  our  markets,  but  the  bright  colors 
used  in  their  decoration  show  that  they  have  been  painted  for 
the  masses  in  this  country.  The  post  upon  which  this  kind 
of  picture  is  hung,  as  well  as  the  toko-bashira,  may  also  be 
adorned  with  a hanging  flower-holder  such  as  has  already  been 
described. 

A Japanese  may  have  a famous  collection  of  pictures,  yet 
these  are  stowed  away  in  his  kura,  with  the  exception  of  the 
one  exposed  in  the  tokonoma.  If  he  is  a man  of  taste,  he 
changes  the  picture  from  time  to  time  according  to  the  season, 
the  character  of  his  guests,  or  for  special  occasions.  In  one 
house  where  I was  a guest  for  a few  days  the  picture  was 
changed  every  day.  A picture  may  do  duty  for  a few  weeks 
or  months,  when  it  is  carefully  rolled  up,  stowed  away  in 
its  silk  covering  and  box,  and  another  one  is  unrolled.  In 
this  way  a picture  never  becomes  monotonous.  The  listless 
and  indifferent  way  in  which  an  American  will  often  regard 
his  own  pictures  when  showing  them  to  a friend,  indicates  that 
his  pictures  have  been  so  long  on  his  walls  that  they  no  longer 
arouse  any  attention  or  delight.  It  is  true,  one  never  wearies 
in  contemplating  the  work  of  the  great  masters ; but  one  should 
remember  that  all  pictures  are  not  masterpieces,  and  that  by 
constant  exposure  the  effect  of  a picture  becomes  seriously  im- 
paired. The  way  in  which  pictures  with  us  are  crowded  on  the 
walls,  — many  of  them  of  necessity  in  the  worst  possible  light, 
or  no  light  at  all  when  the  windows  are  muffled  with  heavy 


INTERIOR  ADORNMENTS. 


315 


curtains,  — shows  that  the  main  interest  centres  in  their  embossed 
gilt  frames,  which  are  conspicuous  in  all  lights.  The  princi- 
ple of  constant  exposure  is  certainly  wrong;  a good  picture  is 
all  the  more  enjoyable  if  it  is  not  forever  staring  one  in  the 
face.  Who  wants  to  contemplate  a burning  tropical  sunset  on 
a full  stomach,  or  a drizzling  northern  mist  on  an  empty  one  ? 
And  yet  these  are  the  experiences  which  we  are  often  compelled 
to  endure.  Why  not  modify  our  rooms,  and  have  a bay  or  recess, 
— an  alcove  in  the  best  possible  light,  — in  which  one  or  two 
good  pictures  may  be  properly  hung,  with  fitting  accompani- 
ments in  the  way  of  a few  flowers,  or  a bit  of  pottery  or  bronze  ? 
We  have  never  modified  the  interior  arrangement  of  our  house 
in  the  slightest  degree  from  the  time  when  it  was  shaped  in 
the  most  economical  way  as  a shelter  in  which  to  eat,  sleep, 
and  die,  — a rectangular  kennel,  with  necessary  holes  for  light, 
and  necessary  holes  to  get  in  and  out  by.  At  the  same  time’, 
its  inmates  were  saturated  with  a religion  so  austere  and  som- 
bre that  the  possession  of  a picture  was  for  a long  time  looked 
upon  as  savoring  of  worldliness  and  vanity,  unless,  indeed,  the 
subject  suggested  the  other  world  by  a vision  of  hexapodous 
angels,  or  of  the  transient  resting-place  to  that  world  in  the 
guise  of  a tombstone  and  willows,  or  an  immediate  departure 
thereto  in  the  shape  of  a death-bed  scene. 

Among  the  Japanese  all  collections  of  pottery  and  other 
bric-a-brac  are,  in  the  same  way  as  the  pictures,  carefully  en- 
closed in  brocade  bags  and  boxes,  and  stowed  away  to  be 
unpacked  only  when  appreciative  friends  come  to  the  house ; 
and  then  the  host  enjoys  them  with  equal  delight.  Aside 
from  the  heightened  enjoyment  sure  to  be  evoked  by  the 
Japanese  method,  one  is  spared  an  infinite  amount  of  chagrin 
and  misery  in  having  an  unsophisticated  friend  become  enthusi- 
astic over  the  wrong  thing,  or  mistake  a rare  etching  of  Dante 
for  a North  American  savage,  or  manifest  a thrill  of  delight 


31 G JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

over  an  object  because  lie  learns  incidentally  that  its  value 
corresponds  with  his  yearly  grocery  bill. 

Nothing  is  more  striking  in  a Japanese  room  than  the  har- 
monies and  contrasts  between  the  colors  of  the  various  objects 
and  the  room  itself.  Between  the  picture  and  the  brocades 
with  which  it  is  mounted,  and  the  cpiiet  and  subdued  color  of 
the  tokonoma  in  which  it  is  hung,  there  is  always  the  most 
refined  harmony,  and  such  a background  for  the  delicious  and 
healthy  contrasts  of  color  when  a spray  of  bright  cherry  blos- 
soms enlivens  the  quiet  tones  of  this  honored  place ! The  gen- 
eral tone  of  the  room  sets  off  to  perfection  the  simplest  spray 
of  flowers,  a quiet  picture,  a rough  bit  of  pottery  or  an  old 
bronze ; and  at  the  same  time  a costly  and  magnificent  piece 
of  gold  lacquer  blazes  out  like  a gem  from  these  simple  sur- 
roundings, — and  yet  the  harmony  is  not  disturbed. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  the  efforts  at  harmonious  and 
decorative  effects  which  have  been  made  by  famous  artists  and 
decorators  in  this  country  and  in  England  have  been  strongly 
imbued  by  the  Japanese  spirit,  and  every  success  attained  is  a 
confirmation  of  the  correctness  of  Japanese  taste.  Wall-papers 
are  now  more  quiet  and  unobtrusive ; the  merit  of  simplicity  and 
reserve  where  it  belongs,  and  a fitness  everywhere,  are  becoming 
more  widely  recognized. 

It  is  rare  to  see  cabinets  or  conveniences  for  the  display  of 
bric-a-brac  in  a Japanese  house,  though  sometimes  a lacquer- 
stand  with  a few  shelves  may  be  seen,  — and  on  this  may  be 
displayed  a number  of  objects  consisting  of  ancient  pottery, 
some  stone  implements,  a fossil,  old  coins,  or  a few  water-worn 
fragments  of  rock  brought  from  China,  and  mounted  on  dark 
wood  stands.  The  Japanese  are  great  collectors  of  autographs, 
coins,  brocades,  metal-work,  and  many  other  groups  of  objects ; 
but  these  are  rarely  exposed.  In  regard  to  objects  in  the  toko- 
noma,  I have  seen  in  different  tokonoma,  variously  displayed, 


PRECAUTIONS  AGAINST  FIRE. 


317 


natural  fragments  of  quartz,  crystal  spheres,  curious  water- 
worn  stones,  coral,  old  bronze,  as  well  as  the  customary  vase 
for  flowers  or  the  incense-burner.  These  various  objects  are 
usually,  but  not  always,  supported  on  a lacquer-stand.  In  the 
cliigai-dana  I have  also  noticed  the  sword-rack,  lacquer  writ- 
ing-box, maki-mono,  and  books  • and  when  I was  guilty  of  the 
impertinence  of  peeking  into  the  cupboards,  I have  seen  there  a 
few  boxes  containing  pottery,  pictures,  and  the  like,  — though, 
as  before  remarked,  such  things  are  usually  kept  in  the  kura. 

Besides  the  lacquer 
cabinets,  there  may  be 
seen  in  the  houses  of 
the  higher  class  an  ar- 
ticle of  furniture  con- 
sisting of  a few  deep 
shelves,  with  portions 
of  the  shelves  closed, 
forming  little  cupboards.  Such  a cabinet  is  used  to  hold  writ- 
ing-paper, toilet  articles,  trays  for  flowers,  and  miscellaneous 
objects  for  use  and  ornament.  These  cases  are  often  beau- 
tifully lacquered. 

The  usual  form  of  writing-desk  consists  of  a low  stool  not 
over  a foot  in  height,  with  plain  side-pieces  or  legs  for  support, 
sometimes  having  shallow  drawers ; and  this  is  about  the  only 
piece  of  furniture  that  would  parallel  our  table.  The  illustration 
(fig.  300)  shows  one  of  these  tables,  upon  which  may  be  seen 
the  paper,  ink-stone,  brush,  and  brush-rest. 

In  the  cities  and  large  villages  the  people  stand  in  con- 
stant fear  of  conflagrations.  Almost  every  month  they  are 
reminded  of  the  instability  of  the  ground  they  rest  upon  by 
tremors  and  slight  shocks,  which  may  be  the  precursors  of 
destructive  earthquakes,  usually  accompanied  by  conflagrations 


318  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

infinitely  more  disastrous.  Allusion  lias  been  made  to  the  little 
portable  engines  with  which  houses  are  furnished.  In  the  city 
house  one  may  notice  a little  platform  or  staging  with  hand- 
rail erected  on  the  ridge  of  the  roof  (fig.  301) ; a ladder  or 
flight  of  steps  leads  to  this  staging,  and  on  alarms  of  fire 
anxious  faces  may  be  seen  peering  from  these  lookouts  in  the 
direction  of  the  burning  buildings.  It  is  usual  to  have  resting 


Fig.  301.  — Staging  on  House-roof,  with  Bucket  and  Brush. 


•on  the  platform  a huge  bucket  or  half  barrel  filled  with  water, 
and  near  by  a long-handled  brush ; and  this  is  used  to  sprinkle 
water  on  places  threatened  by  the  sparks  and  fire-brands,  which 
often  fill  the  air  in  times  of  great  conflagrations. 

During  the  prevalence  of  a high  wind  it  is  a common  sight 
to  see  the  small  dealers  packing  their  goods  in  large  baskets 
and  square  cloths  to  tie  up  ready  to  transport  in  case  of  fire. 
At  such  times  the  windows  and  doors  of  the  kura  are  closed 
and  the  chinks  plastered  with  mud,  which  is  always  at  hand 
either  under  a platform  near  the  door  or  in  a large  earthen 
jar  near  the  openings.  In  private  dwellings,  too,  at  times  of 
possible  danger,  the  more  precious  objects  are  packed  up  in  a 


HOUSES  OF  FOREIGN  STYLE. 


319 


square  basket-like  box,  having  straps  attached  to  it,  so  that  it 
can  easily  be  transported  on  one’s  shoulders  (fig.  302). 


In  drawing  to  a close  this  description  of  Japanese  homes  and 
their  surroundings,  I have  to  regret  that  neither  time,  strength, 
nor  opportunity  enabled  me  to  make  it  more  complete  by  a 
description,  accompanied  by  sketches,  of  the  residences  of  the 
highest  classes  in  Japan.  Indeed,  it  is  a question  whether  any 
cf  the  old  residences  of  the  Dai- 
mios  remain  in  the  condition  in 
which  they  were  twenty  years 
ago,  or  before  the  Revolution. 

Even  where  the  buildings  re- 
main,  as  in  the  castles  of  Na- 
goya and  Kumamoto,  busy  clerks 
and  secretaries  are  seen  sitting 
in  chairs  and  writing  at  tables 
in  foreign  style  ; and  though  in 
some  cases  the  beautifully  dec- 
orated fusuma,  with  the  elaborately  carved  ramma  and  rich 
wood-ceiling  are  still  preserved,  — as  in  the  castle  of  Nagoya, 
as  well  as  in  many  others  doubtless,  — the  introduction  of  var- 
nished furniture  and  gaudy-colored  foreign  carpets  in  some  of 
the  apartments  has  brought  sad  discord  into  the  former  har- 
monies of  the  place. 

In  Tokio  a number  of  former  Daimios  have  built  houses  in 
foreign  style,  though  these  somehow  or  other  usually  lack  the 
peculiar  comforts  of  our  homes.  Why  a Japanese  should  build 
a house  in  foreign  style  was  somewhat  of  a puzzle  to  me,  until 
I saw  the  character  of  their  homes  and  the  manner  in  which 
a foreigner  in  some  cases  was  likely  to  behave  on  entering  a 
Japanese  house.  If  he  did  not  walk  into  it  with  his  boots 
on,  he  was  sure  to  be  seen  stalking  about  in  his  stockinged 


Fig.  302.  — Box  for  Transporting 
Articles. 


320  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

feet,  bumping  bis  head  at  intervals  against  the  kamoi,  or  burning 
holes  in  the  mats  in  his  clumsy  attempts  to  pick  up  coals  from 
the  hibachi,  with  which  to  light  his  cigar.  Not  being  able  to  sit 
on  the  mats  properly,  he  sprawls  about  in  attitudes  confessedly 
as  rude  as  if  a Japanese  in  our  apartments  were  to  perch  his 
legs  on  the  table.  If  he  will  not  take  off  his  boots,  he  possibly 
finds  his  way  to  the  garden,  where  he  wanders  about,  indenting 
the  paths  with  his  boot-heels  or  leaving  scars  on  the  verandah, 
possibly  washing  his  hands  in  the  clwclzu-bachi , and  generally 
making  himself  the  cause  of  much  discomfort  to  the  inmates. 

It  was  a happy  idea  when  those  Japanese  who  from  their 
prominence  in  the  affairs  of  the  country  were  compelled  to 
entertain  the  “ foreign  barbarian.”  conceived  the  idea  of  erecting- 
a cage  in  foreign  fashion  to  hold  temporarily  the  menagerie 
which  they  were  often  compelled  to  receive.  Seriously,  however, 
the  inelastic  character  of  most  foreigners,  and  their  inability  to 
adapt  themselves  to  their  surroundings  have  rendered  the  erec- 
tion of  buildings  in  foreign  style  for  their  entertainment  not 
only  a convenience  but  an  absolute  necessity.  It  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  for  the  activities  of  business  especially,  the  foreign 
style  of  office  and  shop  is  not  only  more  convenient  but  unques- 
tionably superior. 

The  former  Daimio  of  Chikuzen  was  one  of  the  first,  I believe, 
to  build  a house  in  foreign  style  in  Tokio,  and  this  building  is 
a good  typical  example  of  an  American  two-story  house.  At- 
tached, however,  to  this  house  is  a wing  containing  a number 
of  rooms  in  native  style.  Fig.  123  (page  142)  shows  one  of 
these  rooms.  The  former  Daimio  of  Hizen  also  lives  in  a 
foreign  house,  and  there  are  many  houses  in  Tokio  built  by 
Japanese  after  foreign  plans. 

In  an  earlier  portion  of  this  work  an  allusion  was  made  to 
the  absence  of  those  architectural  monuments  which  are  so 


ABSENCE  OF  MONUMENTS. 


321 


'characteristic  of  European  countries.  The  castles  of  the  Daimi-os, 
which  are  lofty  and  imposing  structures,  have  already  been  re- 
ferred to.  There  are  fortresses  also  of  great  extent  and  solid- 
ity, — notably  the  one  at  Osaka,  erected  by  Hideyoshi  on  an 
•eminence  near  the  city ; and  though  the  wooden  structures  for- 
merly surmounting  the  walls  were  destroyed  by  Iyeyasu  in 
1615,  the  stone  battlements  as  they  stand  to-day  must  be 
•considered  as  among  the  marvels  of  engineering  skill,  and  the 
•colossal  masses  of  rock  seem  all  the  more  colossal  after  one 
has  become  familiar  with  the  tiny  and  perishable  dwellings  of 
the  country.  In  the  walls  of  this  fortress  are  single  blocks 
of  stone  — at  great  heights,  too,  above  the  surrounding  level  of 
the  region  — measuring  in  some  cases  from  thirty  to  thirty-six 
feet  in  length,  and  at  least  fifteen  feet  in  height.  These  huge 
blocks  have  been  transported  long  distances  from  the  moun- 
tains many  miles  away  from  the  city. 

Attention  is  called  to  the  existence  of  these  remarkable 
monuments  as  an  evidence  that  the  Japanese  are  quite  compe- 
tent to  erect  such  buildings,  if  the  national  taste  had  inclined 
them  in  that  way.  So  far  as  I know,  a national  impulse  has 
never  led  the  Japanese  to  commemorate  great  deeds  in  the 
nation’s  life  by  enduring  monuments  of  stone.  The  reason 
may  be  that  the  plucky  little  nation  has  always  been  successful 
in  repelling  invasion  ; and  a peculiar  quality  in  their  tempera- 
ment has  prevented  them  from  perpetuating  in  a public  way, 
either  by  monuments  or  by  the  naming  of  streets  and  bridges, 
the  memories  of  victories  won  by  one  section  of  the  country 
over  another. 

Rev.  AY.  E.  Griffis,  in  an  interesting  article  on  “ The  Streets 
and  Street-names  of  Yedo,” 1 in  noticing  the  almost  total 
.absence  of  the  names  of  great  victories  or  historic  battlefields 
in  the  naming  of  the  streets  and  bridges  in  Tokio,  says : “ It 

1 Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan,  vol.  i.  p.  20. 

21 


822  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

would  have  been  an  unwise  policy  in  the  great  unifier  of  Japan, 
Iyeyasii,  to  have  given  to  the  streets  in  the  capital  of  a nation 
finally  united  in  peaceful  union  any  name  that  would  be  a 
constant  source  of  humiliation,  that  would  keep  alive  bitter 
memories,  or  that  would  irritate  freshly-healed  wounds.  The 
anomalous  absence  of  such  names  proves  at  once  the  sagacity 
of  Iyeyasii,  and  is  another  witness  to  the  oft-repeated  policy 
used  by  the  Japanese  in  treating  their  enemies,  — that  is,  to 
conquer  them  by  kindness  and  conciliation.” 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


THE  ANCIENT  HOUSE. 

Allusions  to  the  House  in  Ancient  Japanese  Records. 

T T would  be  an  extremely  interesting  line  of  research  to 
follow  out  the  history  of  the  development  of  the  house 
in  Japan.  The  material  for  such  a study  may  possibly  be  in 
existence,  but  unfortunately  there  are  few  scholars  accom- 
plished enough  to  read  the  early  Japanese  records.  Thanks  to 
the  labors  of  Mr.  Chamberlain,  and  to  Mr.  Satow,  Mr.  Aston,  Mr. 
McClatchie,  and  other  members  of  the  English  legation  in  Japan,1 
students  of  Ethnology  are  enabled  to  catch  a glimpse  of  the 
character  of  the  early  house  in  that  country. 

From  the  translations  of  ancient  Japanese  Rituals,2  by  Ernest 
Satow,  Esq.;  of  the  Kojiki , or  “Records  of  Ancient  Matters,”3 
by  Basil  Hall  Chamberlain,  Esq. ; and  an  ancient  Japanese 
Classic,4  by  W.  G.  Aston,  Esq.,  — we  get  a glimpse  of  the 
Japanese  house  as  it  was  a thousand  years  or  more  ago. 

Mr.  Satow  claims  that  the  ancient  Japanese  Rituals  are 
“ the  oldest  specimens  of  ancient  indigenous  Japanese  litera- 
ture extant,  excepting  only  perhaps  the  poetry  contained  in 
the  6 Kojiki  ’ and  4 Nihongi ; ’ ” and  Mr.  Chamberlain  says  the 

1 Owing  to  the  sensible  civil  service  of  England,  scholars  and  diplomates  are  ap- 
pointed to  these  duties  in  the  East ; and  as  a natural  result  all  the  honors,  — political,, 
commercial,  and  literary,  — have,  with  few  exceptions,  been  won  by  Englishmen. 

2 Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan,  vol.  ix.  part  ii.  p.  191. 

3 Ibid.,  vol.  x.  Supplement. 

4 Ibid.,  vol.  iii.  part  ii.  p.  121. 


324  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


“Kojiki”  is  “the  earliest  authentic  connected  literary  product 
•of  that  large  division  of  the  human  race  which  has  been 
variously  denominated  Turanian,  Scythian,  and  Altaic,  and  it 
even  precedes  by  at  least  a century  the  most  ancient  extant 
literary  compositions  of  non-Aryan  India.” 

The  allusions  to  house-structure  in  the  “ Kojiki,”  though 
brief,  are  suggestive,  and  carry  us  back  without  question  to  the 
condition  of  the  Japanese  house  in  the  seventh  and  eighth 
centuries. 

Mr.  Satow,  in  his  translation  of  the  Rituals,  says  that  the 
period  when  this  service  was  first  instituted  was  certainly  be- 
fore the  t6nth  century,  and  probably  earlier.  From  these  re- 
cords he  ascertains  that  “the  palace  of  the  Japanese  sovereign 
was  a wooden  hut,  with  its  pillars  planted  in  the  ground,  in- 
stead of  being  erected  upon  broad,  flat  stones,  as  in  modern 
buildings.  The  whole  frame-work,  consisting  of  posts,  beams, 
rafters,  door-posts,  and  window-frames,  was  tied  together  with 
cords,  made  by  twisting  the  long  fibrous  stems  of  climbing 
plants,  — such  as  Pueraria  Thunbergiana  ( kuzu ) and  Wistaria 
Sinensis  ( fuji ).  The  floor  must  have  been  low  down,  so  that 
the  occupants  of  the  building,  as  they  squatted  or  lay  on  their 
mats,  were  exposed  to  the  stealthy  attacks  of  venomous  snakes, 
which  were  probably  far  more  numerous  in  the  earliest  ages 
when  the  country  was  for  the  most  part  uncultivated  than  at 
the  present  day.  . . . There  seems  some  reason  to  think  that 
the  yuka,  here  translated  c floor,’  was  originally  nothing  but  a 
couch  which  ran  around  the  sides  of  the  hut,  the  rest  of  the 
space  being  simply  a mud-floor ; and  that  the  size  of  the  couch 
was  gradually  increased  until  it  occupied  the  whole  interior. 
The  rafters  projected  upward  beyond  the  ridge-pole,  crossing 
each  other  as  is  seen  in  the  roofs  of  modern  Shin-tau  temples, 
whether  their  architecture  be  in  conformity  with  early  tradi- 
tions (in  which  case  all  the  rafters  are  so  crossed),  or  modified 


THE  ANCIENT  HOUSE. 


325 


in  accordance  with  more  advanced  principles  of  construction, 
and  the  crossed  rafters  retained  only  as  ornaments  at  the  two 
ends  of  the  ridge.  The  roof  was  thatched,  and  perhaps  had 
a gable  at  each  end,  with  a hole  to  allow  the  smoke  of  the 
wood-fire  to  escape,  — so  that  it  was  possible  for  birds  flying 
in  and  perching  on  the  beams  overhead,  to  defile  the  food,  or 
the  fire  with  which  it  was  cooked.” 

From  the  “Kojiki”  we  learn  that  even  in  those  early  days 
the  house  was  sufficiently  differentiated  to  present  forms  re- 
ferred to  as  temples  or  palaces,  houses  of  the  people,  store- 
houses, and  rude  huts.  That  the  temples  or  palaces  were  more 
than  rude  huts  is  shown  by  references  to  the  verandah,  the 
great  roof,  stout  pillars,  and  high  cross-beams.  They  were  at 
least  two  stories  high,  as  we  read  of  people  gazing  from  an 
upper  story.  The  peasants  were  not  allowed  to  build  a house 
with  a raised  roof  frame,  — that  is,  a roof  the  upper  portion  or 
ridge  of  which  was  raised  above  the  roof  proper,  and  having  a 
different  structure.  This  indicates  the  existence  at  that  time 
of  different  kinds  of  roofs,  or  ridges.  Fire-places  were  in  the 
middle  of  the  floor,  and  the  smoke-outlet  was  in  the  gable 
end  of  the  roof  protected  by  a lattice,  — as  seen  in  the  Jap- 
anese country  houses  of  to-day.  The  posts  or  pillars  of  the 
house  were  buried  deep  in  the  ground,  and  not,  as  in  the 
present  house,  resting  on  a stone  foundation. 

The  allusions  in  the  “ Kojiki,”  where  it  says,  “and  if  thou 
goest  in  a boat  along  that  road  there  will  appear  a palace 
built  like  fish-scales,”  and  again,  “ the  ill-omened  crew  were 
shattered  like  tiles,”  show  the  existence  of  tiles  at  that  time. 
A curious  reference  is  also  made  to  using  cormorants’  feathers 
for  thatch.  There  were  front  doors  and  back  doors,  doors  to 
be  raised,  and  windows  and  openings. 

It  is  mentioned  that  through  the  awkwardness  of  the  car- 
penter the  farther  “ fin  ” of  the  great  roof  is  bent  down  at  the 


326  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


corner,  — probably  indicating  wide  over-banging  eaves,  the  cor- 
ners of  which  might  easily  be  called  “ fins.”  Within  the  house 
were  mats  of  sedge,  skin,  and  silk,  and  ornamental  screens  to 
protect  the  sleepers  from  draughts  of  air.1  The  castles  had 
back  gates,  side  gates,  and  other  gates.  Some  of  these  gates, 
at  least,  had  a roof-like  structure  above,  as  we  read  in  the 
“ Kojiki,”  “ Come  under  the  metal  gate ; we  will  stand  till  the 
rain  stops.” 

Fences  are  also  alluded  to.  The  latrine  is  mentioned  several 
times  as  being  away  from  the  house,  and  having  been  placed 
over  running  water,  — “whence  doubtless  the  name  Kciha-ya; 
that  is,  river-house.”  This  feature  is  specially  characteristic 
of  the  latrine,  from  Siam  to  Java.  This  suggestion  of  early  af- 
finities with  the  Malay  people  is  seen  in  an  ancient  Japanese 
Classic,  dating  from  the  tenth  century,  entitled  Monogatari,  or 
“ Tales  of  Japan,”  translated  by  Mr.  Chamberlain,2  in  which  we 
read,  “Now,  in  olden  days  the  people  dwelt  in  houses  raised 
on  platforms  built  out  in  the  river  Ikuta.”  In  the  “ Kojiki  ” 
we  also  read,  “ They  made  in  the  middle  of  the  river  Hi  a 
black  plaited  bridge,  and  respectfully  offered  a temporary  palace 
to  dwell  in.”  The  translator  says  the  significance  of  this  pas- 
sage is  : “ They  built  as  a temporary  abode  for  the  prince  a 
house  in  the  river  Hi  (whether  with  its  foundations  actually 
in  the  water  or  on  an  island  is  left  undetermined),  connecting 
it  with  the  main-land  by  a bridge  made  of  branches  of  trees 
twisted  together,  and  with  their  bark  left  on  them  (this  is 
here  the  import  of  the  word  black).” 

The  “Kojiki”  mentions  a two-forked  boat:  may  this  not 
be  some  kind  of  a catamaran  ? Mention  is  also  made  of  eat- 
ing from  leaf-platters : this  is  a marked  Malay  feature. 

1 In  Auam  I noticed  that  the  bed-rooms  were  indicated  by  hanging  cloth  partitions 
as  well  as  by  those  made  of  matting. 

2 Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan,  vol.  vi.  part  i.  p.  109. 


THE  ANCIENT  HOUSE. 


327 


These  various  statements  — particularly  those  concerning  the 
latrine,  and  building  houses  over  the  water  — are  significant 
indications  of  the  marked  southern  affinities  of  the  Japanese. 
Other  features  of  similarity  with  southern  people  are  seen  in 
the  general  structure  of  the  house. 

The  principal  references  which  have  been  made  to  the 
“ Kojiki  ” are  quoted  here  for  the  convenience  of  the  reader. 
For  the  history  of  the  origin  of  this  ancient  record,  methods  of 
translation,  etc.,  the  reader  is  referred  to  Mr.  Chamberlain’s 
Introduction  accompanying  the  translation. 

“ And  the  ill-omened  crew  were  shattered  like  tiles  ” (p.  8). 

“ So  when  from  the  palace  she  raised  the  door  and  came  out  to  meet 
him  ” (p.  34). 

“ Taking  him  into  the  house,  and  calling  him  into  an  eight-foot-spaced 
large  room”  (p.  73). 

“ Do  thou  make  stout  the  temple-pillars  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Uka  in 
the  nethermost  rock-bottom,  and  make  high  the  cross-beams  to  the  Plain- 
of-High-Heaven  ” (p.  74). 

“ I push  back  the  plank-door  shut  by  the  maiden  ” (p.  76). 

“ Beneath  the  fluttering  of  the  ornamented  fence,  beneath  the  softness 
of  the  warm  coverlets,  beneath  the  rustling  of  the  cloth  coverlet”  (p.  81). 

The  translator  says  “ the  4 ornamented  fence  ’ is  supposed  to 
mean  ‘ a curtain  round  the  sleeping-place.’  ” 

“ The  soot  on  the  heavenly  new  lattice  of  the  gable,”  etc.  (p.  105).1 

“Using  cormorants’  feathers  for  thatch”  (p.  126). 

“ The  manner  in  which  I will  send  this  sword  down  will  be  to  perforate 
the  ridge  of  [the  roof  of]  Takakurazhi’s  store-house,  and  drop  it  through ! 
(p.  135). 

“ In  a damp  hut  on  the  reed-moor,  having  ‘ spread  layer  upon  layer  of 
sedge  mats,  we  two  slept ! ’ ” (p.  149). 

“ When  she  was  about  to  enter  the  sea,  she  spread  eight  thicknesses  of 
sedge  rugs,  eight  thicknesses  of  skin  rugs,  and  eight  thicknesses  of  silk 
rugs  on  top  of  the  waves  ” (p.  212). 

1 Satow  gives  quite  a different  rendering  of  this  passage. 


328  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


“ So  when  the  grandee  of  Kuchiko  was  repeating  this  august  Song  [to 
the  Empress],  it  was  raining  heavily.  Then  upon  his,  without  avoiding 
the  rain,  coming  and  prostrating  himself  at  the  front  door  of  the  palace,  she 
on  the  contrary  went  out  at  the  hack  door ; and  on  his  coming  and  pros- 
trating himself  at  the  hack  door  of  the  palace,  she  on  the  contrary  went 
out  at  the  front  door”  (p.  278). 

“ Then  the  Heavenly  Sovereign,  going  straight  to  the  place  where  Queen 
Medori  dwelt,  stood  on  the  door-sill  of  the  palace  ” (p.  281). 

“ 1 Had  I known  that  I should  sleep  on  the 
Moor  of  Tajihi,  Oh  ! I would  have  brought 
My  dividing  matting.” 

(p.  288.) 

“ Then,  on  climbing  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  and  gazing  on  the 
interior  of  the  country,  [he  perceived  that]  there  was  a house  built  with  a 
raised  roof-frame.  The  Heavenly  Sovereign  sent  to  ask  [concerning]  that 
house,  saying,  ‘Whose  roof  with  a raised  frame  is  that?’  The  answer 
was : ‘ It  is  the  house  of  the  great  Departmental  Lord  of  Shiki.’  Then 
the  Heavenly  Sovereign  said : £ What ! a slave  builds  his  own  house  in 
imitation  of  the  august  abode  of  the  Heavenly  Sovereign ! ’ — and  forth- 
with he  sent  men  to  burn  the  house  [down]”  (p.  311). 

“ Thereupon  the  grandee  Sliihi  sang,  saying,  — 

‘ The  further  fin  of  the  roof  of  the  great 
Palace  is  bent  down  at  the  corner.’ 

When  he  had  thus  sung,  and  requested  the  conclusion  of  the  Song,  His 
Augustness  Woke  sang,  saying, — 

‘ It  is  on  account  of  the  great  carpenter’s 
Awkwardness  that  it  is  bent  down  at  the 
Corner.’  ” 

(p.  330.) 

In  the  ancient  Japanese  Rituals,  Mr.  Satow  finds  that  the 
rafters  projected  upward  beyond  the  ridge-pole  of  the  roof  cross- 
ing each  other,  — as  is  seen  in  the  roofs  of  modern  Shin-to  tem- 
ples. A curious  feature  is  often  seen  on  the  gable  ends  of  the 
roofs  of  the  Malay  houses  near  Singapore,  consisting  of  pro- 
jecting pieces  crossing  each  other  at  the  two  ends  of  the  roof ; 


THE  ANCIENT  HOUSE. 


329 


and  these  are  ornamented  by  being  cut  in  odd  sweeps  and 
curves  (fig.  303).  Survivals  of  these  crossing  rafters  are  seen 
in  the  modern  Japanese  dwelling  ; that  is,  if  we  are  to  regard 
as  such  the  wooden  X’s  which  straddle  the  roof  at  intervals, 
as  shown  in  figs.  45  (page  62)  and  85  (page  98).  A precisely 
similar  feature  is  seen  on  the  roofs  of  houses  along  the  river 
approaching  Saigon,  and  on  the  road  leading  from  Saigon  to 
Cholon,  in  Anam  (fig.  304). 

It  has  been  customary  to  regard  the  tokonoma,  or  bed-place, 
in  the  Japanese  house  as  being  derived  from  the  Aino  house. 
The  suggestion  of  such  a derivation  seems  to  me  to  have  no 
foundation.  In  the  Aino  house  the  solid  ground  is  the  floor ; 
sometimes,  but  not  always,  a rush  mat  is  spread  along  the 
side  of  the  fireplace,  which  is  in  the  centre  of  the  hut.  The 
slightest  attention  to  comfort  would  lead  the  Ainos  to  erect 
a platform  of  boards, — and  such  a platform  is  generally  found 
next  to  the  wall  in 
the  Aino  hut.  This 
platform  not  only 
serves  as  a sleeping- 
but  holds  also 
boxes  and  household 
as  well  as  such 
objects  as  were  not 
suspended  to  the 
sides  of  the  houses  or 
from  poles  stretched 
across.  In  no  case 
did  I see  a raised  platform  protected  by  a partition,  or  one 
utilized  solely  for  a sleeping-place.  If  it  were  safe  to  venture 
upon  any  conjecture  as  to  the  origin  of  the  tokonoma,  or  if 
external  resemblances  had  any  weight  in  affinities  of  struc- 
ture, one  might  see  the  prototype  of  this  feature  in  the  Malay 


330  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


house.  In  the  Malay  villages  near  Singapore,  one  may  see  not 
only  a slightly  raised  place  for  the  bed  exclusively,  but  also 
a narrow  partition  jutting  out  from  the  side  of  the  wall,  not 
unlike  that  which  separates  the  toTconoma  from  its  companion 
recess  (fig.  305). 


Fig.  304.  — Ridge  of  Roof  in  Ciiolon,  Anam. 


Whether  these  various  relations  pointed  out  between  the 
Japanese  house  and  similar  features  in  the  Malay  house  are 
of  any  weight  or  not,  they  must  be  recognized  in  any  at- 
tempt to  trace  the  origin  of  those  features  in  house-structure 


Fig.  305.  — Interior  of  Malay  House,  showing  Bed-place.  Singapore. 

which  have  originated  outside  of  Japan.  From  all  that  we 
can  gather  relating  to  the  ancient  house  of  the  J apanese,  it 
would  seem  that  certain  important  resemblances  must  he  sought 
for  among  the  southern  nations  of  Anam,  Cochin  China,  and 
particularly  those  of  the  Malay  peninsula. 


THE  ANCIENT  HOUSE. 


331 


Ernest  Satow,  Esq.,  in  an  article  on  the  Shin-to  temples  of  Ise,1 
which,  as  the  author  says,  “ rank  first  among  all  the  Shin-to  tem- 
ples in  Japan  in  point  of  sanctity,  though  not  the  most  ancient,” 
has  some  interesting  matter  concerning  the  character  of  the 
ancient  house.  He  says  : — 

“ Japanese  antiquarians  tell  us  that  in  early  times,  before  carpenters’ 
tools  had  been  invented,  the  dwellings  of  the  people  who  inhabited  these 
islands  were  constructed  of  young  trees  with  the  bark  on,  fastened  to- 
gether with  ropes  made  of  the  rush  (suge,  — Scirpus  maritimus),  or  per- 
haps with  the  tough  shoots  of  the  wistaria  ( fuji ),  and  thatched  with 
the  grass  called  kaya.  In  modern  buildings  the  uprights  of  a house 
stand  upon  large  stones  laid  on  the  surface  of  the  earth;  but  this  pre- 
caution against  decay  had  not  occurred  to  the  ancients,  who  planted  the 
uprights  in  holes  dug  in  the  ground. 

The  ground-plan  of  the  hut  was  oblong,  with  four  corner  uprights,  and 
one  in  the  middle  of  each  of  the  four  sides,  — those  in  the  sides  which 
formed  the  ends  being  long  enough  to  support  the  ridge-pole.  Other  trees 
were  fastened  horizontally  from  corner  to  corner,  — one  set  near  the  ground, 
one  near  the  top,  and  one  set  on  the  top,  the  latter  of  which  formed  what 
we  call  the  wall-plates.  Two  large  rafters,  whose  upper  ends  crossed  each 
other,  were  laid  from  the  wall-plates  to  the  heads  of  the  taller  uprights. 
The  ridge-pole  rested  in  the  fork  formed  by  the  upper  ends  of  the  rafters 
crossing  each  other.  Horizontal  poles  were  then  laid  along  each  slope  of 
the  roof,  one  pair  being  fastened  close  up  to  the  exterior  angle  of  the  fork. 
The  rafters  were  slender  poles,  or  bamboos,  passed  over  the  ridge-pole  and 
fastened  down  on  each  end  to  the  wall-plates.  Next  followed  the  process 
of  putting  on  the  thatch.  In  order  to  keep  this  in  its  place,  two  trees 
were  laid  along  the  top  resting  in  the  forks ; and  across  these  two  trees 
were  placed  short  logs  at  equal  distances,  which  being  fastened  to  the  poles 
in  the  exterior  angle  of  the  forks  by  ropes  passed  through  the  thatch,  bound 
the  ridge  of  the  roof  firmly  together. 

“ The  walls  and  doors  were  constructed  of  rough  matting.  It  is  evident 
that  some  tool  must  have  been  used  to  cut  the  trees  to  the  required  length ; 
and  for  this  purpose  a sharpened  stone  was  probably  employed.  Such 

1 Translations  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan,  vol.  ii.  p.  119. 


JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THE  I Pi  SURROUNDINGS. 


009 

00±J 


stone  implements  have  been  found  imbedded  in  the  earth  in  various  parts 
of  Japan,  in  company  with  stone  arrow-heads  and  clubs.  Specimens  of  the 
ancient  style  of  building  may  even  yet  be  seen  in  remote  parts  of  the 
country,  — not  perhaps  so  much  in  the  habitations  of  the  peasantry,  as  in 
sheds  erected  to  serve  a temporary  purpose. 

“ The  architecture  of  the  Shin-to  temples  is  derived  from  the  primeval 
hut,  with  more  or  less  modification  in  proportion  to  the  influence  of  Bud- 
dhism in  each  particular  case.  Those  of  the  purest  style  retain  the  thatched 
roof ; others  are  covered  with  the  thick  shingling  called  hiwada-buki,  while 
others  have  tiled  and  even  coppered  roofs.  The  projecting  ends  of  the 
rafters  called  clugi  have  been  somewhat  lengthened,  and  carved  more 
or  less  elaborately.  At  the  new  temple  at  Kudanzaka  in  Yedo  they  are 
shown  in  the  proper  position,  projecting  from  the  inside  of  the  shingling ; 
but  in  the  majority  of  cases  they  merely  consist  of  two  pieces  of  wood  in 
the  form  of  the  letter  X,  which  rest  on  the  ridge  of  the  roof  like  a pack- 
saddle  on  a horse’s  back,  to  make  use  of  a Japanese  writer’s  comparison. 
The  logs  which  kept  the  two  trees  laid  on  the  ridge  in  their  place  have 
taken  the  form  of  short  cylindrical  pieces  of  timber  tapering  towards  each 
extremity,  which  have  been  compared  by  foreigners  to  cigars.  In  Japanese 
they  are  called  Jcatsuo-gi,  from  their  resemblance  to  the  pieces  of  dried 
bonito  sold  under  the  name  of  katsuo-bushi.  The  two  trees  laid  along  the 
roof  over  the  thatch  are  represented  by  a single  beam,  called  Mwnaosae , 
or  “ roof-presser.”  Planking  has  taken  the  place  of  the  mats  with  which 
the  sides  of  the  building  were  originally  closed,  and  the  entrance  is  closed 
by  a pair  of  folding  doors,  turning  not  on  hinges,  but  on  what  are,  I 
believe,  technically  called  ‘ journals.’  The  primeval  hut  had  no  flooring  ; 
but  we  find  that  the  shrine  has  a wooden  floor  raised  some  feet  above  the 
ground,  which  arrangement  necessitates  a sort  of  balcony  all  round,  and  a 
flight  of  steps  up  to  the  entrance.  The  transformation  is  completed  in- 
some  cases  by  the  addition  of  a quantity  of  ornamental  metal-work 
in  brass.” 

Coming  down  to  somewhat  later  times,  we  find  a charm- 
ing bit  of  description  of  the  house  in  an  ancient  Japanese 
Classic1  entitled  Tosa  Nikki,  or  “Tosa  Diary,”  translated  by  W. 


1 Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan,  vol.  iii.  part  ii. 


THE  ANCIENT  HOUSE. 


G.  Aston.  This  Diary  was  written  in  the  middle  of  the  tenth 
century,  and  is  the  record  of  a court  noble  who  lived  in  Kioto, 
but  who  was  absent  from  his  home  five  or  six  years  as  Pre- 
fect of  Tosa.  The  Diary  was  a record  of  his  journey  home, 
and  the  first  entry  in  it  was  in  the  fourth  year  of  Shohei, 
which  according  to  our  reckoning  must  have  been  in  the  early 
part  of  935  a.d.,  or  nearly  one  thousand  years  ago.  During  his 
absence  from  home,  news  had  come  to  him  of  the  death  of 
his  little  daughter  nine  years  old ; and  he  says,  “With  the  joy- 
ful thought,  ‘ Home  to  Kioto  ! ’ there  mingles  the  bitter  reflec- 
tion that  there  is  one  who  never  will  return.” 

The  journey  home  was  mostly  by  sea ; and  finally,  having 
entered  the  Osaka  River,  and  spent  several  days  in  strug- 
gling against  the  strong  current,  he  reaches  Yamazaki,  from 
which  place  he  starts  for  Kioto.  He  expresses  great  delight 
in  recognizing  the  old  familiar  landmarks  as  he  rides  along. 
“ He  mentions  the  children’s  playthings  and  sweetmeats  in  the 
shops  as  looking  exactly  as  when  he  went  away,  and  wonders 
whether  he  will  find  as  little  change  in  the  hearts  of  his 
friends.  He  had  purposely  left  Yamazaki  in  the  evening  in 
order  that  it  might  be  night  when  he  reached  his  own  dwell- 
ing.” Mr.  Aston  translates  his  account  of  the  state  in  which 
he  found  it : — 

“The  moon  was  shining  brightly  when  I reached  my  house  and  en- 
tered the  gate,  so  that  its  condition  was  plainly  to  be  seen.  It  was  de- 
cayed and  ruined  beyond  all  description,  — worse  even  than  I had  been 
told.  The  house 1 of  the  man  in  whose  charge  I left  it  was  in  an  equally 
dilapidated  condition.  The  fence  between  the  two  houses  had  been  broken 
down,  so  that  both  seemed  but  one,  and  he  appeared  to  have  fulfilled  his 
charge  by  looking  in  through  the  gaps.  And  yet  I had  supplied  him, 
by  every  opportunity,  with  the  means  of  keeping  it  in  repair.  To-night, 

1 In  Mr.  Aston’s  translation  this  word  is  printed  “heart,”  but  evidently  this  in  us*'  bo 
a misprint. 


334  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

however,  I would  not  allow  him  to  be  told  this  in  an  angry  tone,  but 
in  spite  of  my  vexation  offered  him  an  acknowledgment  for  his  trouble. 
There  was  in  one  place  something  like  a pond,  where  water  had  col- 
lected in  a hollow,  by  the  side  of  which  grew  a fir-tree.  It  had  lost 
half  its  branches,  and  looked  as  if  a thousand  years  had  passed  during 
the  five  or  six  years  of  my  absence.  Younger  trees  had  grown  up  round 
it,  and  the  whole  place  was  in  a most  neglectful  condition,  so  that  every 
one  said  that  it  was  pitiful  to  see.  Among  other  sad  thoughts  that  rose 
spontaneously  to  my  mind  was  the  memory  — ah  ! how  sorrowful ! — of 
one  who  was  born  in  this  house,  but  who  did  not  return  here  along  with 
me.  My  fellow-passengers  were  chatting  merrily  with  their  children  in 
their  arms,  but  I meanwhile,  still  unable  to  contain  my  grief,  privately 
repeated  these  lines  to  one  who  knew  my  heart.” 

In  this  pathetic  account  one  gets  a glimpse  of  the  house  as 
it  appeared  nearly  a thousand  years  ago.  The  broken  fence 
between  the  houses;  the  gateway,  probably  a conspicuous  struc- 
ture then  as  it  is  to-day,  in  a dilapidated  condition ; and  the 
neglected  garden  with  a tangle  of  young  trees  growing  up, — all 
show  the  existence  in  those  early  days  of  features  similar  to 
those  which  exist  to-day. 

The  history  of  house  development  in  Japan,  if  it  should  ever 
be  revealed,  will  probably  show  a slow  but  steady  progress 
from  the  rude  hut  of  the  past  to  the  curious  and  artistic  house 
of  to-day,  — a house  as  thoroughly  a product  of  Japan  as  is 
that  of  the  Chinese,  Korean,  or  Malay  a product  of  those  res- 
pective peoples,  and  differing  from  all  cpiite  as  much  as  they 
differ  from  one  another.  A few  features  have  been  introduced 
from  abroad,  but  these  have  been  trifling  as  compared  to  the 
wholesale  imitation  of  foreign  styles  of  architecture  by  our 
ancestors,  the  English  ; and  until  within  a few  years  we  have 
followed  England’s  example  in  perpetuating  the  legacy  it  left 
us,  in  the  shape  of  badly  imitated  foreign  architecture,  clas- 
sical and  otherwise.  As  a result,  we  have  scattered  over  the 
land,  among  a few  public  buildings  of  good  taste,  a countless 


THE  ANCIENT  HOUSE. 


335 


number  of  ill-proportioned,  ugly,  and  entirely  inappropriate  build- 
ings for  public  use.  Had  the  exuberant  fancies  of  the  village 
architect  revelled  in  woodsheds  or  one-storied  buildings,  the 
harm  would  have  been  trifling ; but  the  desire  for  pretentious 
show,  which  seems  to  characterize  the  average  American,  has 
led  to  the  erection  of  these  architectural  horrors  on  the  most 
•conspicuous  sites,  — and  thus  the  public  taste  is  vitiated. 

The  Japanese,  while  developing  an  original  type  of  house, 
have  adopted  the  serviceable  tile  from  Korea,  and  probably 
also  the  economical  transverse  framing  and  vertical  struts  from 
China,  and  bits  of  temple  architecture  for  external  adornments. 
As  to  their  temple  architecture,  which  came  in  with  one  of 
their  religions,  they  had  the  good  sense  to  leave  it  compara- 
tively as  it  was  brought  to  them.  Indeed,  the  temples  seem 
in  perfect  harmony  with  the  country  and  its  people.  What 
shall  we  say,  however,  to  the  taste  displayed  by  the  English, 
who  in  the  most  servile  manner  have  copied  foreign  styles  of 
architecture  utterly  unsuited  to  their  climate  and  people ! In 
the  space  of  an  English  block  one  may  see  not  only  Grecian, 
Roman,  Italian,  and  Egyptian,  as  well  as  other  styles  of  archi- 
tecture, but  audaciously  attempted  crosses  between  some  of 
these ; and  the  resulting  hybrids  have  in  consequence  rendered 
the  modern  English  town  the  most  unpicturesque  muddle  of 
buildings  in  Christendom  outside  our  own  country.1 

1 “ It  is  lamentable  to  reflect  how  many  monstrous  designs  have  been  perpetrated 
under  the  general  name  of  Gothic,  which  have  neither  in  spirit  nor  letter  realized  the 
character  of  Mediaeval  art.  In  London  these  extraordinary  ebullitions  of  uneducated 
taste  generally  appear  in  the  form  of  meeting-houses,  music-halls,  and  similar  places  of 
popular  resort.  Showy  in  their  general  effect,  and  usually  overloaded  with  meretricious 
ornament,  they  are  likely  enough  to  impose  upon  an  uninformed  judgment,  which  is  inca- 
pable of  discriminating  between  what  Mr.  Ruskin  has  called  the  ‘ Lamp  of  Sacrifice,’  — 
one  of  the  glories  of  ancient  art,  — and  the  lust  of  profusion  which  is  the  bane  of  modern 
■design.”  — Eastlake's  Hints  on  Household  Taste,  p.  21. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  NEIGHBORING  HOUSE. 

House  of  the  Aino.  — Of  the  Haciiijo  Islander.  — Of  the  Loochooan.  — Of 
the  Korean.  — Of  the  Chinese.  — Concluding  Remarks. 

T T AYING  got  a glimpse,  and  a slight  glimpse  only,  of  the 
ancient  house  in  Japan,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  consider 
briefly  the  character  of  the  house  in  neighboring  islands  forming 
part  of  the  Japanese  Empire,  and  also  of  the  house  in  that 
country  which  comes  nearest  to  Japan  (Korea),  and  from  which 
country  in  the  past  there  have  been  many  both  peaceful  and 
compulsory  invasions,  — compulsory  in  the  fact  that  when  Hide- 
yoshi  returned  from  Korea,  nearly  three  hundred  years  ago, 
after  his  great  invasion  of  that  country,  he  brought  back  with 
him  to  Japan  colonies  of  potters  and  other  artisans. 

The  Ainos  of  Yezo  naturally  claim  our  attention  first,  be- 
cause it  is  believed  that  they  were  the  aboriginal  people  of 
Japan  proper,  and  were  afterwards  displaced  by  the  Japanese, — 
a displacement  similar  to  that  of  our  North  American  savages- 
by  the  English  colonists.  Whether  the  Ainos  are  autochthonous- 
or  not,  will  not  be  discussed  here.  That  they  are  a savage  race,, 
without  written  language,  — a race  which  formerly  occupied  the 
northern  part  of  the  main  island  of  Japan,  and  were  gradually 
forced  back  to  Yezo,  where  they  still  live  in  scattered  com- 
munities, — are  facts  which  are  unquestionable.  How  far  the 
Aino  house  to-day  represents  the  ancient  Aino  house,  and  how 


HOUSE  OF  THE  AINO. 


337 


many  features  of  the  Japanese  house  are  engrafted  upon  it,  are 
points  difficult  to  determine. 

The  Ainos  that  I saw  in  the  Ishikari  valley,  on  the  west 
coast  of  Yezo,  and  from  Shiraoi  south  on  the  east  coast,  all 
spoke  Japanese,  ate  out  of  lacquer  bowls,  used  chop-sticks, 
smoked  small  pipes,  drank  sake,  and  within  their  huts  pos- 
sessed lacquer  boxes  and  other  conveniences  in  which  to  stow 
away  their  clothing,  which  had  probably  been  given  them  in 
past  times  by  the  Japanese,  and  which  were  heirlooms.  On 


Fig.  30G.  — Aino  House,  Yezo. 


the  other  hand,  they  retained  their  own  language,  their  long, 
narrow  dug-out ; used  the  small  bow,  the  poisoned  arrow,  and 
had  an  arrow-release  of  their  own ; adhered  to  their  ancestral 
forms  of  worship  and  their  peculiar  methods  of  design,  and  were 
quite  as  persistent  in  clinging  to  many  of  their  customs  as  are 
our  own  Western  tribes  of  Indians.  That  they  are  susceptible 
to  change  is  seen  in  the  presence  of  a young  Aino  at  the  normal 
school  in  Tokio,  from  whom  I derived  some  interesting  facts 
concerning  archery. 

Briefly,  the  Aino  house,  as  I saw  it,  consists  of  a rude  frame- 
work of  timber  supporting  a thatched  roof;  the  walls  being 


338  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

made  up  of  reeds  and  rush  interwoven  with  staffer  cross-pieces. 
Within,  there  is  a single  room  the  dimensions  of  the  house. 
In  most  houses  there  is  an  L,  in  which  is  the  doorway,  which 
may  in  some  cases  he  covered  with  a rude  porch.  The  thatched 
roof  is  well  made  and  quite  picturesque,  differing  somewhat 
in  form  from  any  thatched  roof  among  the  Japanese,  — though 
in  Yamato,  as  already  mentioned,  I saw  features  in  the  slope- 
of  the  roof  quite  similar  to  those  shown  in  some  of  the  Aino 
roofs. 


Fig.  307.  — Aino  House,  Yezo. 


Entering  the  house  by  the  low  door,  one  comes  into  a room 
so  dark  that  it  is  with  difficulty  one  can  see  anything.  The 
inmates  light  rolls  of  birch-bark  that  one  may  be  enabled  to  see 
the  interior ; but  every  appearance  of  neatness  and  picturesque- 
ness which  the  hut  presented  from  without  vanishes  when  one 
gets  inside.  Beneath  one’s  feet  is  a hard,  damp,  earth  floor ; di- 
rectly above  are  the  blackened  and  soot-covered  rafters.  Poles 
supported  horizontally  from  these  rafters  are  equally  greasy  and 
blackened,  and  pervading  the  darkness  is  a dirty  and  strong  fishy 
odor.  In  the  middle  of  the  floor,  and  occupying  considerable 
space,  is  a square  area,  — the  fireplace.  On  its  two  sides  mats 
are  spread.  A pot  hangs  over  the  smoke,  for  there  appears  to 


HOUSE  OF  THE  HAC11IJ0  ISLANDER. 


339 


be  but  little  fire ; and  at  one  side  is  a large  bowl  containing  the 
remains  of  the  last  meal,  consisting  apparently  of  fish-bones,  — 
large  sickly-looking  bones,  the  sight  of  which  instantly  vitiates 
one’s  appetite.  The  smoke,  rebuffed  at  the  only  opening  save 
the  door,  — a small  square  opening  close  under  the  low  eaves, 
— struggles  to  escape  through  a small  opening  in  the  angle  of 
the  roof.  On  one  side  of  the  room  is  a slightly  raised  floor  of 
boards,  upon  which  are  mats,  lacquer-boxes,  bundles  of  nets, 
and  a miscellaneous  assortment  of  objects.  Hanging  from  the 
rafters  and  poles  are  bows,  quivers  of  arrows,  Japanese  daggers 
mounted  on  curious  wooden  tablets  inlaid  with  lead,  slices  of 
fish  and  skates’  heads  in  various  stages,  not  of  decomposition,  as 
the  odors  would  seem  to  imply,  but  of  smoke  preservation.  Dirt 
everywhere,  and  fleas.  And  in  the  midst  of  the  darkness,  smoke, 
and  squalor  are  the  inmates,  — quiet,  demure,  and  gentle  to  the 
last  degree.  Figs.  306  and  307  give  an  idea  of  the  appearance  of 
two  Aino  houses  of  the  better  kind,  but  perhaps  cannot  be  taken 
as  a type  of  the  Aino  house  farther  north  on  the  island. 

Let  us  now  glance  at  the  house  of  the  natives  of  the 
Hacliijo  Islanders,  as  described  by  Mr.  Dickins  and  Mr.  Satow.1 
From  their  communication  the  following  account  is  taken : — 

“ As  may  readily  be  supposed,  there  are  no  shops  or  inns  on  the  island, 
but  fair  accommodation  for  travellers  can  be  obtained  at  the  farmers’ 
houses.  These  are  for  the  most  part  substantially-built  cottages  of  two 
or  three  rooms,  with  a spacious  kitchen,  constructed  with  the  timber  of 
Quercus  cuspidata,  and  with  plank  walls,  where  on  the  mainland  it  is 
usual  to  have  plastered  wattles.  The  roof  is  invariably  of  thatch,  with 
a very  high  pitch,  — necessitated,  we  were  told,  by  the  extreme  damp- 
ness of  the  climate,  which  renders  it  desirable  to  allow  as  little  rain  as 

1 Notes  of  a visit  to  Haohijo,  in  1878.  By  F.  V.  Dickins  and  Ernest  Satow. 
Transactions  of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan,  vol.  vi.  part  iii.  p.  435. 


340  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


possible  to  soak  into  the  straw.  Many  of  the  more  prosperous  farmers 
have  a second  building,  devoted  to  the  rearing  of  silkworms,  which  takes 
its  name  (kaiko-ya)  from  the  purpose  to  which  it  is  destined.  There  are 
also  sheds  for  cattle,  usually  consisting  of  a thatched  roof  resting  on 
walls  formed  of  rough  stone-work..  Lastly,  each  enclosure  possesses  a 
wooden  godown,  raised  some  four  feet  from  the  ground  on  stout  wooden 
posts,  crowned  with  broad  caps,  to  prevent  the  mice  from  gaining  an  en- 
trance. The  style  resembles  that  of  the  storehouses  constructed  by  the 
Ainos  and  Loochooans. 

“ The  house  and  vegetable-garden  belonging  to  it  are  usually  sur- 
rounded by  a stone  wall,  or  rather  bank  of  stones  and  earth,  often  six 
feet  high,  designed  to  protect  the  buildings  from  the  violent  gales  which 
at  certain  seasons  sweep  over  the  island,  and  which,  as  we  learned,  fre- 
quently do  serious  injury  to  the  rice-fields  by  the  quantity  of  salt  spray 
which  they  carry  a long  distance  inland  from  the  shore.” 

From  this  general  description  of  the  house  which  incident- 
ally accompanies  a very  interesting  sketch  of  the  physical  pecu- 
liarities of  the  island,  its  geology,  botany,  and  the  customs  and 
dialect  of  the  people,  we  get  no  idea  of  the  special  features  of 
the  house,  — as  to  the  fireplace  or  bed-place ; whether  there  be 
shoji  or  ordinary  windows,  matted  floor,  or  any  of  those  details 
which  would  render  a comparison  with  the  Japanese  house  of 
value. 

As  Mr.  Satow  found  in  the  language  of  the  Hachijo  Islanders 
a number  of  words  which  appeared  to  be  survivals  of  archaic 
Japanese,  and  also  among  their  customs  the  curious  one,  which 
existed  up  to  within  very  recent  times,  of  erecting  parturition 
houses,  — a feature  which  is  alluded  to  in  the  very  earliest  re- 
cords of  Japan,  — a minute  description  of  the  Hachijo  house  with 
sketches  might  possibly  lead  to  some  facts  of  interest. 

The  Loochoo,  or  Riukiu  Islands,  now  known  as  Okinawa 
Shima,  lie  nearly  midway  between  the  southern  part  of  Japan 
and  the  Island  of  Formosa.  The  people  of  this  group  differ 


HOUSE  OF  THE  LOOCHOOAN. 


341 


but  little  from  the  Japanese,  — their  language,  according  to  Mr. 
Satow  and  Mr.  Brunton,  having  in  it  words  that  appear  obso- 
lete in  Japan.  In  many  customs  there  is  a curious  admixture 
of  Chinese  and  Japanese  ways ; and  Mr.  Brunton  sees  in  the 
Loochooan  bridge  and  other  structures  certain  resemblances  to 
■Chinese  methods. 

The  following  extract  regarding  the  house  of  the  Loochooans 
is  taken  from  an  account  of  a visit  to  these  islands,  by  Ernest 
Satow,  Esq.,  published  in  the  first  volume  of  the  “ Transactions 
of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan  : ” — 

“ The  houses  of  the  Loochooans  are  built  in  Japanese  fashion,  with 
the  boor  raised  three  or  four  feet  from  the  ground,  and  have  mostly 
only  one  story,  on  account  of  the  violent  winds  which  prevail.  They 
are  roofed  with  tiles  of  a Chinese  fashion,  very  strong  and  thick.  The 
buildings  in  which  they  store  their  rice  are  built  of  wood  and  thatched 
with  straw.  They  are  supported  on  wooden  posts  about  five  feet  high, 
and  resemble  the  granaries  of  the  Ainos,  though  constructed  with  much 
greater  care.” 

Another  extract  is  here  given  in  regard  to  the  house  of  the 
Loochooans,  by  R.  H.  Brunton,  Esq.,  published  in  the  “ Transac- 
tions of  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Japan  ” 1 : — 

“ The  streets  in  the  towns  present  a most  desolate  appearance.  On 
each  side  of  these  is  a blank  stone  wall  of  about  ten  or  twelve  feet  high, 
with  openings  in  them  here  and  there  sufficiently  wide  to  admit  of  access 
to  the  houses  which  are  behind.  Every  house  is  surrounded  by  a wall, 
and  from  the  street  they  convey  the  impression  of  being  prisons  rather 
than  ordinary  dwellings.  . . . 

“ The  houses  of  the  well-to-do  classes  are  situated  in  a yard  which 
is  surrounded  by  a wall  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  as  has  been  already 
mentioned.  They  are  similar  to  the  ordinary  Japanese  houses,  with  raised 
floors  laid  with  mats  and  sliding  screens  of  paper.  They  are  built  of 
wood,  and  present  no  peculiar  differences  from  the  Japanese  style  of 

1 Vol.  iv.  p.  68. 


342  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


construction.  The  roofs  are  laid  with  tiles,  which  however  are  quite  differ- 
ent in  shape  from  the  Japanese  tiles.  Over  the  joint  between  two  concave 
tiles  a convex  one  is  laid,  and  these  are  all  semi-circular  in  cross  sections. 
The  tiles  are  made  at  Nafa,  and  are  red  in  color;  they  appeared  of  good 
quality.  The  houses  of  the  poorer  classes  are  of  very  primitive  character. 
The  roof  is  covered  with  a thick  thatch,  and  is  supported  by  four  corner 
uprights  about  five  feet  high.  The  walls  consist  of  sheets  of  a species 
of  netting  made  of  small  bamboo,  which  contain  between  them  a thick- 
ness of  about  six  inches  of  straw.  This  encloses  the  whole  sides  of  the 
house,  — a width  of  about  two  feet  being  left  in  one  side  as  an  entrance. 
There  is  no  flooring  in  the  houses  of  any  description,  and  there  is  generally 
laid  over  the  mud  inside  a mat,  on  which  the  inmates  lie  or  sit.” 

Considering  the  presence  for  so  many  centuries  of  strong 
Chinese  influence  which  Mr.  Brunton  sees  in  the  Loochooans,  it 
is  rather  surprising  to  find  so  many  features  of  the  Japanese 
house  present  in  their  dwellings.  Indeed,  Mr.  Brunton  goes  so 
far  as  to  say  that  the  Loochooan  house  presents  no  peculiar 
differences  from  the  Japanese  style  of  construction ; and  as 
he  has  paid  special  attention  to  the  constructive  features  of 
Japanese  buildings,  we  must  believe  that  had  differences  existed 
they  would  have  been  noted  by  him. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  wide  distribution  of  certain  identical 
features  in  Japanese  house-structure,  from  the  extreme  north  of 
Japan  to  the  Loochoo  Islands,  is  something  remarkable.  Here 
is  a people  who  for  centuries  lived  almost  independent  provincial 
lives,  the  northern  and  southern  provinces  speaking  different  dia- 
lects, even  the  character  of  the  people  varying,  and  yet  from 
Awomori  in  the  north  to  the  southernmost  parts  of  Satsuma, 
and  even  farther  south  to  the  Loochoos,  the  use  of  fusuma r 
shoji,  mats,  and  thin  wood-ceilings  seems  well-nigh  universal. 
The  store-houses  standing  on  four  posts  are  referred  to  in  the. 
description  of  the  Hachijo  Islanders  as  well  as  in  that  of  the 
Loochooans  as  resembling  those  constructed  by  the  Ainos  ; yet 


HOUSE  OF  THE  KOREAN. 


343 


these  resemblances  must  not  be  taken  as  indicating  a commu- 
nity of  origin,  but  simply  as  the  result  of  necessity.  For  travel- 
lers in  Kamtchatka,  and  farther  west,  speak  of  the  same  kind 
of  store-houses  ; and  farther  south  they  may  be  seen  in  Singa- 
pore and  Java,  — in  fact,  in  every  country  town  in  New  England  ; 
and  indeed  all  over  the  United  States  the  same  kind  of  store- 
house is  seen.  Probably  all  over  the  world  a store-house  on 
four  legs,  even  to  the  inverted  box  or  pan  on  each  leg,  may 
be  found. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  Percival  Lowell,  Esq.,  I am  enabled  to 
see  advanced  sheets  of  his  work  on  Korea,  entitled  “ The  Land  of 
the  Morning  Calm  and  from  this  valuable  work  the  author  has 
permitted  me  to  gather  many  interesting  facts  concerning  the 
Korean  dwellings.  The  houses  are  of  one  story ; a flight  of  two 
or  three  steps  leads  to  a narrow  piazza,  or  very  wide  sill,  which 
encircles  the  entire  building.  The  apartment  within  is  only 
limited  by  the  size  of  the  building ; in  other  words,  there  is 
only  one  room  under  the  roof.  The  better  class  of  dwellings, 
however,  consist  of  groups  of  these  buildings.  The  house  is  of 
wood,  and  rests  upon  a stone  foundation.  This  foundation  con- 
sists of  a series  of  connecting  chambers,  or  flues ; and  at  one  side 
is  a large  fireplace,  or  oven,  in  which  the  fire  is  built.  The  pro- 
ducts of  combustion  circulate  through  this  labyrinth  of  chambers, 
and  find  egress,  not  by  a chimney,  but  by  an  outlet  on  the  op- 
posite side.  In  this  way  the  room  above  is  warmed.  There  are 
three  different  types  of  this  oven-like  foundation.  In  the  best 
type  a single  slab  of  stone  is  supported  by  a number  of  stout 
stone  pillars ; upon  this  stone  floor  is  spread  a layer  of  earth,  and 
upon  this  earth  is  spread  oil-paper  like  a carpet.  In  another  ar- 
rangement, ridges  of  earth  and  small  stones  run  lengthwise  from 
front  to  back ; on  top  of  this  the  same  arrangement  is  made  of 
stone,  earth,  and  oil-paper.  In  the  third  type,  representing  a 


344  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

still  poorer  class,  the  oven  and  flues  are  hollowed  out  of  the  earth 
alone.  Mr.  Lowell  remarks  that  the  idea  is  a good  one,  if  it 
were  only  accompanied  by  proper  ventilation.  Unfortunately, 
he  says,  the  room  above  is  no  better  than  a box,  in  which  the 
occupant  is  slowly  roasted.  Another  disadvantage  is  experienced 
in  the  impossibility  of  warming  a room  at  once.  He  says : “ The 
room  does  not  even  begin  to  get  warm  until  you  have  passed 
through  an  agonizing  interval  of  expectancy.  Then  it  takes 
what  seems  forever  to  reach  a comfortable  temperature,  passes 
this  brief  second  of  happiness  before  you  have  had  time  to 
realize  that  it  has  attained  it,  and  continues  mounting  to  un- 
known degrees  in  a truly  alarming  manner,  beyond  the  possi- 
bility of  control.”  This  curious  and  ingenious  method  of  warming 
houses  is  said  to  have  been  introduced  from  China  some  one 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 

A house  of  the  highest  order  is  simply  a frame-work,  — 
a roof  supported  on  eight  or  more  posts  according  to  the 
size  of  the  building ; and  this  with  a foundation  represents 
the  only  fixed  structure.  In  summer  it  presents  a skeleton- 
like appearance ; in  winter,  however,  it  appears  solid  and  com- 
pact, as  a series  of  folding-doors,  — a pair  between  each  two 
posts,  — closes  it  completely.  These  are  prettily  latticed,  open 
outward,  and  are  fastened  from  within  by  a hook  and  knob. 
By  a curious  arrangement  these  doors  can  be  removed  from 
their  hinges,  the  upper  parts  only  remaining  attached,  and 
fastened  up  by  hooks  to  the  ceiling.  This  kind  of  a house  and 
room  is  used  as  a banqueting  hall  and  a room  for  general  enter- 
tainment. It  may  be  compared  to  our  drawing-room. 

Dwelling-rooms  are  constructed  on  quite  a different  plan. 
Instead  of  continuous  doors,  the  sides  are  composed  of  perma- 
nent walls  and  doors.  The  wall  is  of  wood,  except  that  in  the 
poorer  house  it  consists  of  mud.  Says  Mr.  Lowell : “ In  these 
buildings  we  have  an  elaborate  system  of  three-fold  aperture 


HOUSE  OF  THE  CHINESE. 


345 


closers,  — a species  of  three  skins,  only  that  they  are  for  con- 
secutive, not  simultaneous,  use.  The  outer  is  the  folding-cloor 
above  mentioned ; the  other  two  are  a couple  of  pairs  of  sliding 
panels,  — the  survivors  in  Korea  of  the  once  common  sliding 
screens,  such  as  are  used  to-day  in  Japan.  One  of  the  pairs  is 
covered  with  dark  green  paper,  and  is  for  night  use ; the  other 
is  of  the  natural  yellowish  color  of  the  oil-paper,  and  is  used  by 
day.  When  not  wanted,  they  slide  back  into  grooves  inside 
the  wall,  whence  they  are  pulled  out  again  by  ribbons  fastened 
near  the  middle  of  the  outer  edge.  All  screens  of  this  sort, 
whether  in  houses  or  palanquins,  are  provided,  unlike  the  Jap- 
anese, with  these  conveniences  for  tying  the  two  halves  of 
each  pair  together,  and  thus  enabling  easier  adjustment.”  The 
house-lining  within  is  oil-paper.  “ Paper  covers  the  ceiling, 
lines  the  wall,  spreads  the  floor.  As  you  sit  in  your  room 
your  eye  falls  upon  nothing  but  paper;  and  the  very  light  that 
enables  you  to  see  anything  at  all  sifts  in  through  the  same 
material.” 

It  will  be  seen  by  these  brief  extracts  how  dissimilar  the 
Korean  house  is  to  that  of  the  Japanese.  And  this  dissimi- 
larity is  fully  sustained  by  an  examination  of  the  photographs 
which  Mr.  Lowell  made  in  Korea,  and  which  show  among 
other  things  low  stone-walled  houses  with  square  openings  for 
windows,  closed  by  frames  covered  with  paper,  the  frames  hung 
from  above  and  opening  outside,  and  the  roof  tiled ; also  curious 
thatched  roofs,  in  which  the  slopes  are  uneven  and  rounding, 
and  their  ridges  curiously  knotted  or  braided,  differing  in  every 
respect  from  the  many  forms  of  thatched  roof  in  Japan. 

The  Chinese  house,  as  I saw  it  in  Shanghai  and  its  sub- 
urbs, and  at  Canton  as  well  as  up  the  river,  shows  differences 
from  the  Japanese  house  quite  as  striking  as  those  of  the 
Korean  house.  Here  one  sees,  in  the  cities  at  least,  solid 


346  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 

brick-walled  houses,  with  kitchen  range  built  into  the  wall, 
and  chimney  equally  permanent;  tiled-roof,  with  tiled  ridges; 
enclosed  court-yard ; floors  of  stone,  upon  which  the  shoes  are 
worn  from  the  street ; doorways,  with  doors  on  hinges ; window 
openings  closed  by  swinging  frames  fitted  with  the  translucent 
shells  of  Placuna,  or  white  paper,  the  latter  usually  in  a di- 
lapidated condition  ; and  for  furniture  they  have  tables,  chairs, 
bedsteads,  drawers,  babies’  chairs,  cradles,  foot-stools,  and  the 
like.  The  farm-houses  of  China  in  those  regions  that  I visited 
were  equally  unlike  similar  houses  in  Japan. 

From  this  superficial  glance  at  the  character  of  the  house 
in  the  outlying  Islands  of  the  Japanese  Empire,  as  well  as  at 
the  houses  of  the  neighboring  countries,  Korea  and  China, 
I think  it  will  be  conceded  that  the  Japanese  house  is  typi- 
cally a product  of  the  people,  with  just  those  features  from 
abroad  incorporated  in  it  that  one  might  look  for,  considering 
the  proximity  to  Japan  of  China  and  Korea.  When  we  remem- 
ber that  these  three  great  civilizations  of  the  Mongoloid  race 
approximate  within  the  radius  of  a few  hundred  miles,  and  that 
they  have  been  in  more  or  less  intimate  contact  since  early  his- 
toric times,  we  cannot  wonder  that  the  germs  of  Japanese  art  and 
letters  should  have  been  adopted  from  the  continent.  In  pre- 
cisely the  same  way  our  ancestors,  the  English,  drew  from  their 
continent  the  material  for  their  language,  art,  music,  architecture, 
and  many  other  important  factors  in  their  civilization ; and  if 
history  speaks  truly,  their  refinement  even  in  language  and  eti- 
quette was  imported.  But  while  Japan,  like  England,  has  mod- 
ified and  developed  the  germs  ingrafted  from  a greater  and  older 
civilization,  it  has  ever  preserved  the  elasticity  of  youth,  and 
seized  upon  the  good  things  of  our  civilization,  — such  as  steam, 
electricity,  and  modern  methods  of  study  and  research,  — and 
utilized  them  promptly.  Far  different  is  it  from  the  mother 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 


347 


country,  where  the  improvements  and  methods  of  other  nations 
get  but  tardy  recognition. 

It  seems  to  give  certain  English  writers  peculiar  delight  to 
stigmatize  the  Japanese  as  a nation  of  imitators  and  copyists. 
From  the  contemptuous  manner  in  which  disparagements  of 
this  nature  are  flung  into  the  faces  of  the  Japanese  who  are 
engaged  in  their  heroic  work  of  establishing  sound  methods,  of 
government  and  education,  one  would  think  that  in  England 
had  originated  the  characters  by  which  the  English  people 
write,  the  paper  upon  which  they  print,  the  figures  by  which 
they  reckon,  the  compass  by  which  they  navigate,  the  gun- 
powder by  which  they  subjugate,  the  religion  with  which  they 
worship.  Indeed,  when  one  looks  over  the  long  list  of  coun- 
tries upon  which  England  has  drawn  for  the  arts  of  music, 
painting,  sculpture,  architecture,  printing,  engraving,  and  a host 
of  other  things,  it  certainly  comes  with  an  ill-grace  from  natives 
of  that  country  to  taunt  the  Japanese  with  being  imitators. 

It  would  be  obviously  absurd  to  suggest  as  a model  for  our 
own  houses  such  a structure  as  a Japanese  house.  Leaving 
out  the  fact  that  it  is  not  adapted  to  the  rigor  of  our  climate 
or  to  the  habits  of  our  people,  its  fragile  and  delicate  fittings 
if  adopted  by  us,  would  be  reduced  to  a mass  of  kindlings  in 
a week,  by  the  rude  knocks  it  would  receive ; and  as  for  ex- 
posing on  our  public  thoroughfares  the  delicate  labyrinth  of 
carvings  often  seen  on  panel  and  post  in  Japan,  the  wide-spread 
vandalism  of  our  country  would  render  futile  all  such  attempts 
to  civilize  and  refine.  Fortunately,  in  that  land  which,  we  had 
in  our  former  ignorance  and  prejudice  regarded  as  uncivilized, 
the  malevolent  form  of  the  genus  homo  called  “ vandal  ” is 
unknown. 

Believing  that  the  Japanese  show  infinitely  greater  refine- 
ment in  their  methods  of  house-adornment  than  we  do,  and 
convinced  that  their  tastes  are  normally  artistic,  I have 


348  JAPANESE  HOMES  AND  THEIR  SURROUNDINGS. 


endeavored  to  emphasize  my  convictions  by  holding  up  in 
contrast  our  usual  methods  of  house-furnisliing  and  outside 
embellishments.  By  so  doing  I do  not  mean  to  imply  that 
we  do  not  have  in  America  interiors  that  show  the  most 
perfect  refinement  and  taste;  or  that  in  Japan,  on  the  other 
hand,  interiors  may  not  be  found  in  which  good  taste  is 
wanting. 

I do  not  expect  to  do  much  good  in  thus  pointing  out  what  I 
believe  to  be  better  methods,  resting  on  more  refined  standards. 
There  are  some,  I am  sure,  who  will  approve ; but  the  throng  — 
who  are  won  by  tawdry  glint  and  tinsel ; who  make  possible, 
by  admiration  and  purchase,  the  horrors  of  much  that  is  made 
for  house-furnishing  and  adornment  — will,  with  characteristic 
obtuseness,  call  all  else  but  themselves  and  their  own  ways 
heathen  and  barbarous. 


GLOSSARY. 


GLOSSARY 


In  tlie  following  list  of  Japanese  words  used  in  this  work  an  opportunity  is  given  to  correct 
a number  of  mistakes  which  crept  into,  or  rather  walked  boldly  into,  the  text.  The  author  lays 
no  claim  to  a knowledge  of  the  Japanese  language  beyond  what  any  foreigner  might  naturally 
acquire  in  being  thrown  among  the  people  for  some  time.  As  far  as  possible  he  has  followed 
Hepburn’s  Japanese  Dictionary  for  orthography  and  definition,  and  Brunton’s  Map  of  Japan  for 
geographical  names.  Brunton’s  map,  as  well  as  that  published  by  Rein,  spells  Settsu  with  one  t. 
For  the  sake  of  uniformity  I have  followed  this  spelling  in  the  text,  though  it  is  contrary  to  the 
best  authorities.  It  may  be  added  that  Oshiu  and  Totomi  should  be  printed  with  a long  accent 
over  each  o. 

The  words  Samurai,  Daimio,  t\ioto,  Tokio,  ana  several  others,  are  now  so  commonly  seen 
in  the  periodical  literature  of  our  country  that  this  form  of  spelling  for  these  words  has  been 
retained.  For  rules  concerning  the  pronunciation  of  Japanese  words  the  reader  is  referred  to 
the  Introduction  in  Hepburn’s  Dictionary. 


Agari-ba 
Age-yen 
Amado  . 

Andon  . 
Asagao  . 


The  floor  for  standing  upon  in  coining  out  of  the  bath. 

A platform  that  can  be  raised  or  lowered. 

Rain-door.  The  outside  sliding  doors  by  which  the  house 
is  closed  at  night. 

A lamp. 

A colloquial  name  for  a porcelain  urinal,  from  its  resem- 
blance to  the  flower  of  the  morning-glory. 


Benjo  . 

Biwa 

Biyo-bu 


Privy.  Place  for  business. 
A lute  with  four  strings. 

A folding  screen. 


Cha-dokoro 
Cha-ire  . . 

Cha-no-yu  . 
Cliigai-dana 


Tea-place. 

Tea-jar ; literally,  “ tea-put  in.” 

A tea-party. 

A shelf,  one  half  of  which  is  on  a different  plane  from  the 
other. 


352 


GLOSSARY. 


Cliodzu-ba  . . 

Chodzu-baclii 

Chu-nuri 


Privy  ; literally,  “ hand  water-place.” 

A convenience  near  the  privy  fox*  washing  the  hands. 
Middle  layer  of  plaster. 


Dai-ju-no 


Daiku 
Daimio  . 
Dodai 
Dodai-ishi 
Do  ma  . 


A pan  for  holding  burning  charcoal,  used  in  replenishing- 
the  hibachi. 

A carpenter. 

A feudal  lord. 

The  foundation-sill  of  a house. 

Foundation  stone. 

Earth-space.  A small  unfloored  court  at  the  entrance  of 
the  house. 


Fukuro-dana  . . 

Fumi-ishi  . . . 

Furo 

Furosaki  biyo-bu. 
Fusuma  . . . . 

Fu-tai  . . . . 

Futon  . . . . 


Cupboard  ; literally,  “ pouch-shelf.” 

Stepping-stone. 

A small  culinary  furnace,  also  a bath-tub. 

A two-fold  screen  placed  in  front  of  the  furo. 

A sliding  screen  between  rooms. 

The  bands  which  hang  down  in  front  of  a kake-mono ; lit- 
erally, “ wind-band.” 

A quilted  bed-cover. 


Ge-dan  . . . 

Genka  . . . 

Geta  . . . o 

Goyemon  buro 


Lower  step. 

The  porch  at  the  entrance  of  a house. 
Wooden  clogs. 

A form  of  bath-tub. 


Habakari 
Hagi  . . . . . 

Hashira  . . . . 

Hasliira  kakushi  . 

Hibachi  .... 

Hibashi  . . . . 

Hikite  . . . . 

Hi-no  ki  . . . 

Hisashi  . . . . 

Hon-gawara  . . 


Privy. 

A kind  of  rush. 

A post. 

A long  narrow  picture  to  hang  on  post  in  room ; literally,. 
“ post-hide.” 

A brazier  for  holding  hot  coals  for  warming  the  apart- 
ments. 

Metal  tongs. 

A recessed  catch  in  a screen  for  sliding  it  back  and  forth. 
A species  of  pine. 

A small  roof  projecting  over  a door  or  window. 

True  tile. 


GLOSSARY. 


353 


3chi-yo-dana 

• 

A kind  of  shelf. 

Iri-kawa 

• 

The  space  between  the  verandah  and  room. 

Ishi-doro 

• 

A stone  lantern. 

Ji-bukuro  . 

Cupboard. 

Jin-dai-sugi 

. 

“ Cedar  of  God’s  age.” 

Jinrikisha  . 

• 

A two-wheeled  vehicle  drawn  by  a man. 

Ji-zai . 

A hook  used  for  hanging  pots  over  the  fire. 

Jo-dan  . . 

• 

Upper  step.  Raised  floor  in  house. 

Kago  . . 

Sedan  chair. 

Kaikosha  . 

. 

Name  of  a private  school  of  architecture. 

Kake-mono 

• 

Hanging  picture. 

Kaki . . . 

• 

Fence. 

Kamado  . 

• 

Kitchen  range. 

Kami-dana  . 

• 

A shelf  in  the  house  for  Shin-to  shrine. 

Zami-no-ma 

• 

Higher  room. 

Kamoi  . . 

• 

Lintel. 

Kara-kami  . 

• 

Sliding  screen  between  rooms. 

Kawarake  . 

• 

Unglazed  earthen  Avare. 

Kaya  . . 

. 

A kind  of  grass  used  for  thatch. 

Kaya  . . 

. 

Mosquito  netting. 

Kazari-kugi 

• 

Ornamental  headed  nails. 

Kaze-obi 

• 

The  bands  which  hang  down  in  front  of  the  kake-mono ; 
literally,  “ wind-band.” 

Kesh5-no-ma 

• 

Toilet-room. 

Keyaki  . . 

• 

A kind  of  hard  wood. 

Ko-ka  . . 

. 

Privy ; literally,  “ back  frame.” 

Koshi-bari  . 

• 

A kind  of  paper  used  for  a dado. 

Kuguri-do  . 

. 

A small,  low  door  in  a gate. 

Kura  . . . 

A fire-proof  store-house. 

Kuro-moji-gaki 

• 

A kind  of  ornamental  fence. 

Ma-bashira 

Middle  post. 

Mado  . 

• 

Window. 

Ma-gaki  . 

• 

A fence  made  of  bamboo. 

Magari-gane 

• 

A carpenter’s  iron  square. 

Maki-mono 

• 

Pictures  that  are  kept  rolled  up,  not  hung. 

• > o 
o 


354 


GLOSSARY. 


Maki-mono-dana  . Shelf  for  maki-mono. 


Makura  ....  Pillow. 

Miki-dokkuri  . . Bottle  for  offering  wine  to  gods. 

Mochi  ....  A kind  of  bread  made  of  glutinous  rice. 

Mon Badge,  or  crest. 

Mune  ....  Bidge  of  roof. 


Naka-tsubo 
Nan-do  . 

Ne  da-mar  uta 
N edzumi-bashir. 
Nikai-bari  . 
Noren  . . 

Nuki  . . 

Nuri-yen 


Middle  space. 

Store-room.  Pantry. 

Cross-beams  to  support  floor. 

Cross-beam  at  end  of  building ; literally,  u rat-post.” 
Horizontal  beam  to  support  second-story  floor. 

Curtain.  Hanging  screen. 

A stick  passed  through  mortised  holes  to  bind  together 
upright  posts. 

A verandah  unprotected  by  amado. 


O chi-yen 
Oshi-ire  . 
Otoshi-kake 


A low  platform. 

Closet ; literally,  “ push,  put  in.” 
Hanging  partition. 


Ramma  . . 

Ro 

R5-ka  . . 


Open  ornamental  work  over  the  screens  which  form  the 
partitions  in  the  house. 

Hearth,  or  fire-place,  in  the  floor. 

Corridor.  Covered  way. 


Sake 

Samisen  . . . 

Samisen-tsugi  . 
Samurai  . . . 

Sashi-mono-ya 
Setsu-in 

Shaku  . . . . 

Shaku  . . . 

Shichirin  . . . 

Shikii  . 

Shin-to  . . 


Fermented  liquor  brewed  from  rice. 

A guitar  with  three  strings. 

A peculiar  splice  for  joining  timber. 

Military  class  privileged  to  wear  two  swords. 
Cabinet-maker. 

Privy;  literally,  “snow-hide.” 

A wooden  tablet  formerly  carried  by  nobles  when  in  the 
presence  of  the  Emperor. 

A measure  of  ten  inches.  Japanese  foot. 

A brazier  for  cooking  purposes. 

The  lower  grooved  beam  in  which  the  door  or  screens 
slide. 

The  primitive  religion  of  Japan. 


GLOSSARY. 


355 


Shita-nuri 
Slio-ji 
Sode-gaki 
Sudare  . 
Sugi  . . 

Sumi-sashi 
Sumi-tsubo 
Sun  . 
Sunoko  . 


The  first  layer  of  plaster. 

The  outside  door-sash  covered  with  thin  paper. 

A small  ornamental  fence  adjoining  a house. 

A shade  made  of  split  bamboo  or  reeds. 

Cedar. 

A marking-brush  made  of  wood. 

An  ink-pot  used  by  carpenters  in  lieu  of  the  chalk-line. 
One  tenth  of  a Japanese  foot. 

A platform  made  of  bamboo. 


Tabako-bon 
Tamari-no-ma 
Tansu  . . 

Taruki  . 
Tatami  . . 

Ten-jo  . . 

Te-shoku 
To-bukuro  . 
Tokkuri . . 

Toko  . . . 

Toko-bashira 

Tokonoma  . 
Tori-i  . . 


Tsubo  . . 

Tsugi-no-ma 
Tsui-tate 
Tsume-sho  . 


A box  or  tray  in  which  fire  and  smoking  utensils  are  kept. 
Anteroom. 

Bureau. 

A rafter  of  the  roof. 

A floor-mat. 

Ceiling. 

Hand-lamp. 

A closet  in  which  outside  doors  are  stowed  away. 

A bottle. 

The  floor  of  the  tokonoma. 

The  post  dividing  the  two  bays  or  recesses  in  the  guest- 
room. 

A bay,  or  recess,  where  a picture  is  hung. 

A portal,  or  structure  of  stone  or  wood,  erected  in  front  of 
a Shin-to  temple. 

An  area  of  six  feet  square. 

Second  room. 

A screen  of  one  leaf  set  in  a frame. 

A servant’s  waiting-room. 


Usukasumi-dana  . A name  for  shelf ; literally,  “ thin  mist-shelf.” 
Uwa-nuri  . . . The  last  layer  of  plaster. 


Watari 


A passage  ; literally,  “ to  cross  over.” 


Yane  ....  Roof. 

Yane-shita  . . . Roof-beams. 

Yashiki . . . . A lot  of  ground  upon  which  a house  stands.  An  enclosure- 
for  a Daimio’s  residence. 


356 


GLOSSARY. 


Yedo-gawara  . 

. Yeclo  tile. 

Yen  .... 

. A coin  ; equals  one  dollar. 

Yen-gawa  . 

. Verandah. 

Yen-riyo 

. Reserve. 

Yen-zashiki 

. End-parlor. 

Yo-ba  . . . 

. Privy  ; literally,  “ place  for  business 

Yoski  . . . 

. A kind  of  reed. 

Y oshi-do 

. A screen  made  of  yoshi. 

Yu-dono  . . 

. Bath-room. 

Yuka-shita  . 

. The  beams  supporting  the  first  floor. 

INDEX. 


INDEX 


j^INOS,  their  houses  and  customs,  336— 
339. 

Amcubo , the,  their  use  as  storm-doors  or  at 
night,  239,  242,  247 ; their  usual  form,  and 
accompanying  arrangements  for  ventilation, 
247,  248 ; the  single  noisy  feature  of  the 
Japanese  house,  248  ; their  various  devices 
for  fastening,  248-250;  corner-rollers  for 
use  in  their  adjustment,  250 ; their  occa- 
sional sliding  or  swinging  doors  for  night 
use,  250,  251 ; their  closets,  or  to-buhuro, 
for  storage  purposes  during  day-time,  251, 
252. 

Ancient  House,  the,  its  development  as  traced 
in  some  ancient  Japanese  records,  323-335  ; 
Ernest  Satow  cited  as  to  the  ancient  palaces 
of  the  Japanese  sovereigns,  324,  325  ; early 
differentiation  in  its  roof  forms,  325 , 326  ; 
early  form  of  latrine,  and  its  ethnological 
bearing,  326 ; its  resemblance  to  the  Anam 
and  Malay  forms,  330 ; Ernest  Satow  cited 
as  to  its  general  character,  331,  332. 

Aadon,  or  lamp,  its  common  form,  221 ; its 
varieties,  222. 

Aqueducts,  their  occasional  use  in  the  cities, 
296 ; their  usual  method  of  construction, 
297 ; the  insufficiency  and  poor  quality  of 
their  water-supply,  297  ; their  construction 
of  bamboo  pipes,  299-301 ; their  reser- 
voirs, 300. 

Architecture,  Japanese,  its  common  terms  of 
framework-construction  and  dimensions 


explained,  23  note ; as  intelligently  consid- 
ered, 45-47  ; sympathy  with  the  Japanese 
people  an  essential  element  of  its  thorough 
appreciation,  45,  46 ; its  occasional  impos- 
ing types,  45,  321;  as  shown  in  the  tem- 
ples, 46,  47  ; its  alleged  uniformity,  47,  49 ; 
absence  of  books  ou  house-plans  and  eleva- 
tions, 47,  48;  a few  of  its  most  common 
terms,  106,  107 ; as  compared  with  our 
own,  234;  its  occasional  combination  with 
foreign  types,  318,  320;  as  shown  in  the 
fortresses,  321 ; its  comparative  want  of 
grandeur,  321,  322,  its  originality  of  style, 
334,  335 ; its  peculiar  features  as  some- 
times observed  in  the  surrounding  islands, 
342,  343;  its  incorporation  of  special  fea- 
tures from  neighboring  countries,  346. 

Aston,  W.  G.,  cited,  323,  333. 

Atkinson,  Professor,  mentioned,  296  note. 

DATA' ONI  ES,  their  usual  occurrence  in 
two-story  houses,  244 ; their  varieties  of 
railing,  244-247 ; instances  of  artistic  de- 
sign in  the  perforated  panel-form  of  railing, 
245 ; light  bamboo  form  of  railing,  245, 
246  ; more  durable  forms,  246. 

Bamboo,  its  importance  as  a Japanese  build- 
ing material,  84 ; its  use  in  roof-construc- 
tion, 92,  94—97, 100-104;  its  peculiar  adapt- 
ability for  artistic  decoration,  146,156,  170, 
171 ; its  use  in  screeu  and  curtain  work,  182 ; 


360 


INDEX. 


its  artistic  use  in  balcony  railing,  244,  245  ; 
its  adaptability  for  bolding  flowers,  306. 

Bathing  conveniences,  203-205,  209,  210. 

Bath-tubs,  their  general  use  throughout  the 
country,  and  their  different  varieties,  203- 
205  ; various  methods  of  heating,  203-205. 

Bedding,  its  simplicity  of  detail,  210-212; 
the  usual  form  of  pillow  and  its  different 
varieties,  211;  frequent  use  as  wraps  in 
the  day-time  in  winter,  213,  214 ; the  use 
of  mosquito  nettings  and  their  arrange- 
ment, 214. 

Bird  s Nests,  frequently  built  in  dwelling 
houses,  227 ; their  symmetry  of  construc- 
tion, 227 ; regarded  with  great  considera- 
tion by  the  people,  227. 

Bric-a-brac,  nature  of,  and  where  displayed 
in  the  Japanese  house,  316. 

Brunton,  It.  H.,  cited  on  the  Loochooan 
house,  341,  342. 


RANDLES,  their  use  a common  means  of 
lighting  houses,  219,  220;  their  manufac- 
ture and  economy  of  use,  219,  220 ; their 
frequent  ornamentation,  220. 

Candle-sticks,  their  variety  of  form  and  de- 
sign, 220,  221 ; pottery  forms,  223. 

Carpenter,  the  Japanese,  technical  terms  used 
in  house-construction,  and  dimension  of 
framework  explained,  23  note;  his  supe- 
rior skill  in  planning  and  constructing  as 
compared  with  the  American,  35-37 ; his 
tools  and  appliances,  37-44,  79,  80;  an- 
tiquity of  his  tools  now  in  common  use, 
43,  44;  his  staging  and  its  construction, 
44 ; everywhere  throughout  the  country 
excellent  workmen  found,  172. 

Ceiling,  its  manner  of  construction  and  sus- 
pension, 27-31;  frequent  artistic  matching 
and  uniform  combination  of  its  boards,  30, 
31 ; its  low  studding  a prominent  feature 


of  Japanese  houses,  108 ; its  frequent  rich- 
ness  of  finish,  146,  147,  157,  166,  168  ; 
its  varieties  as  observed  in  tea-rooms,  153, 
154,  157,  165  ; the  Japanese  term  and  its 
meaning,  165 ; the  selection  of  its  struc- 
tural material,  165 ; its  conventional  form, 
165 ; its  frequent  beauty  of  design,  166  ; 
instance  of  Chinese  art  and  design  in  its 
workmanship,  156,  166,  167 ; panelled 
form,  166. 

Cellar,  its  usual  absence  in  Japanese  house, 
15,  16,  56,  112;  a shallow  receptacle  be- 
neath the  floor,  for  storage-room,  its  occa- 
sional substitute,  114. 

Chamberlain,  Basil  Hall,  cited,  323,  326,  327. 

Charcoal,  its  common  use  as  fuel,  118,  185, 
188,  191,  203,  204,  213;  its  frequent  use 
for  warming  houses,  119. 

Ghigai-dana , its  usual  appearance,  110 ; its 
many  varieties,  133-149 ; its  ceiling,  134 ; 
its  floor,  134 ; its  communication  with  the 
tokonoma , 135 ; arrangement  of  its  shelves 
and  closets,  135,  137,  138;  studied  avoid- 
ance of  symmetrical  arrangement  often 
shown  in  its  details,  136;  meaning  of  the 
term  and  its  different  names,  137 ; its  finish- 
ing and  appointments,  109,  138,  139,  148, 
168,  317;  its  variations  in  size,  139,  143, 
145,  148 ; as  observed  in  a country  house 
of  the  poorer  class,  148  ; a distinctive  fea- 
ture of  the  guest-room  only,  149  ; as  an  op- 
portunity for  the  display  of  artistic  decora- 
tion, 168. 

Chimneys,  absence  of,  2. 

Chodzn-bachi , the,  a convenience  for  washing 
the  hands,  252-255  ; its  simplest  and  most 
primitive  variety,  252  ; the  more  common 
forms  of  bronze,  etc.,  and  their  arrange- 
ments, 253;  its  various  supports,  253; 
varieties  of  stone  forms,  253;  special  plat- 
form for  its  use,  254;  instances  of  taste 
and  ingenuity  in  its  construction  and  sur- 


INDEX . 


361 


roundings,  254 ; its  general  use  as  an  evi- 
dence of  Japanese  neatness,  255. 

Church-spires,  absence  of,  2. 

Closets,  their  variety  of  form  and  use,  196, 
197 ; their  unfrequent  appearance  in  cham- 
bers, 197 ; their  universal  presence  in  the 
kitchen,  197  ; their  frequent  and  ingenious 
combination  with  stairways,  197, 198  ; their 
use  and  arrangement  in  halls  for  holding 
shoes,  239. 

Curtains,  182,  183. 

Customs : Japanese  manner  of  receiving  guests, 
125  ; the  tea-ceremony,  — its  method  of  ob- 
servance and  national  importance,  149-152; 
public  bathing  and  its  universal  observance 
throughout  Japan,  199,  201 ; separation  of 
the  sexes  in  Japan  contrasted  with  our  own 
social  freedom,  200,  201 ; religious  toler- 
ance, 225  ; foreigners  in  Japan,  and  their 
awkward  attempts  at  observance  of,  124, 
319,  320. 

J^AIMIOS,  their  castles  as  instances  of 
Japanese  architecture,  45,  321;  Aime 
Humbert  cited  thereon,  45  ; their  houses, 
with  interior  plan  and  description,  119, 
120,  121. 

Diekins,  IF.  V.,  cited  on  the  Hachijo  house, 
339,  340. 

Doors,  their  ponderous  form  in  the  fcura,  9, 
34,  75,  163;  sliding  forms,  51,  56,  241, 
258  ; the  usual  absence  of  the  swinging 
forms,  111,  128 ; protected  by  casings  in 
the  him,  163  ; keys  and  padlocks  used  in 
the  kura , 1 64 ; form  observed  in  privy, 
and  its  varieties,  228,  230 ; special  instance 
of  inlaid  work,  231  ; amado,  or  storm- 
door  form,  and  its  appliances,  249-252; 
their  variety  of  form  and  use  in  gateways, 
258-261  ; forms  found  in  the  Korean 
house,  344. 


■ ASTLAKE,  Chas.  L.,  quoted  on  interior 
adornments,  311 ; quoted  on  mixed  forms 
of  Architecture,  355  note- 

Emerson,  quoted,  10. 

Enoshima,  crowded  arrangement  of  its 
houses,  4. 

Entrance,  place  of,  its  frequently  vague  and 
indistinct  character  in  the  Japanese  house, 
8,  234,  235  ; its  usual  form  in  houses  of 
the  better  class,  235,  236,  238 ; its  usual 
grandeur  in  houses  of  the  Daimios,  241.; 
grated  forms  with  sliding  doors  in  shops 
and  inns,  241. 

J7ENCES,  their  durability  of  structure,  260, 
262;  their  variety  of  design  and  struc- 
ture, 9,  266-273 ; special  names  for  the 
different  varieties  and  their  different  mean- 
ings, 266,  267 ; ordinary  board-form,  268  ; 
common  rail-form,  268,  269 ; bamboo  form 
and  its  peculiar  post-decoi’ations,  269 ; rus- 
tic garden-forms,  270,  271  ; the  sode-gaki, 
or  strictly  ornamental  forms  and  their  great 
variety,  271 ; rush  and  reed  forms  of  the 
sode-gaki , 69,  271,  272 ; their  occasional 
barred  openings,  272 ; occasional  tiled 
forms,  272;  stone  foundations  and  their 
durable  structure,  272. 

Fergusson,  Mr.,  quoted  on  the  use  of  the 
arch,  21. 

Fire-engine,  65. 

Fireplaces  : the  furo,  or  common  pot-form 
used  in  tea-rooms,  150 ; the  ro,  or  depres- 
sion in  floor  of  tea-rooms,  154;  the  usual 
forms  of  kitchen  range,  188,  189 ; open 
kitchen-form  in  centre  of  room,  191 ; the 
hibachi  frequently  used  as  a portable  form, 
216  ; common  form  found  in  the  Aino 
house,  338. 

Floors,  their  general  description  and  peculiar- 
ity, 8 ; their  elevation  above  the  ground,  — 


its  advantages  and  disadvantages,  15,  1G  ; 
their  frequent  modification  in  kitchens,  186, 
187 ; their  modifications  as  shown  in  a 
Daimio’s  house,  119-121 ; their  manner  of 
finish  as  affected  by  the  proposed  use  or 
disuse  of  mats,  193,  194 ; the  almost  uni- 
versal use  of  mats,  195,  312;  their  heating 
arrangements  for  providing  warmth  at  night, 
213  ; their  ancient  forms  and  later  develop- 
ment, 327. 

Mowers,  their  tasteful  variety  of  holders,  286, 
304-306 ; love  of,  a national  trait  of  the 
Japanese,  302 ; their  use  in  decorative  art, 
302 ; their  general  use  in  social  life,  303 ; 
their  universal  presence  in  the  tokonoma, 
303,  314  ; Japanese  method  and  refinement 
in  their  use  and  arrangement,  303,  — as 
contrasted  with  our  own,  303,  304 ; this 
principle  of  contrast  observed  in  selecting 
their  holders,  304. 

Mower-holders,  their  many  varieties,  286, 
304-308  ; their  usual  tasteful  and  rustic  ap- 
pearance, 286,  304-308  ; their  frequent  use 
for  holding  dwarf-trees,  286-288  ; hanging 
varieties,  305-307 ; their  ornamentation, 
305  ; bamboo  as  a favorite  material  of  their 
construction,  306 ; straw  forms,  307,  308 ; 
bracket  forms,  307  ; bucket  forms,  — their 
cheap  and  ingenious  devices,  308. 

Foundation,  its  apparent  insecurity  in  the 
house,  16 ; more  solid  form  supporting 
fences,  270,  272. 

Framework,  of  house,  its  primitive  character, 
14,  15  ; its  occasionally  studied  quaintness 
of  effect,  17, 18  ; its  mortising  and  scarfing, 
21 ; its  common  terms  of  construction  and 
dimensions  explained,  23  note ; apparent 
function  of  its  bracing,  23,  24 ; its  ancient 
structural  character,  324,  325,  328. 

Mrkuzawa,  Mr.,  mentioned,  21  note. 

Furo,  its  use  in  the  tea-ceremony,  150  ; the  ro, 
or  substitute  form  in  floor  of  tea-room,  154. 


Fusuma,  their  light  and  adjustable  peculiarity, 
110,  111 ; their  general  description  and 
use,  125-130  ; their  framework  and  cover- 
ing, 127 ; their  occasional  rich  decorative 
effect,  127 ; more  common  forms,  127 ; 
modification  for  admitting  light  and  air? 
127,  128  ; the  yoshi-do  or  modification 
for  summer  use,  128  ; their  occurrence  as 
sliding  panels  in  the  more  durable  and 
permanent  form,  128,  129 ; their  handles 
or  means  of  adjustment,  129 ; their  different 
varieties  of  hikite , or  handles,  129,  130. 

Q ARDEN-B RIDGES,  their  frequent  occur- 
rence, 67,  275  ; their  various  forms,  278, 
279  ; ingenuity  often  shown  in  their  con- 
struction, 278. 

Garden-hedges,  their  frequent  grotesque 
forms,  282. 

Garden-mounds,  a prominent  feature  in  garden 
arrangement,  275  ; their  size,  275  ; special 
instance  in  garden  at  Tokio,  283. 

Garden-paths,  their  occasional  picturesque 
character,  283  ; the  irregular  arrangement 
of  stones  in  their  construction,  286,  291, 
292-294. 

Garden-ponds,  their  usual  appearance  in  gar- 
den arrangement,  67,  275;  their  frequent 
picturesque  appearance,  275,  279,  2S1, 
283  ; dry  forms,  and  their  deceptive  ap- 
pearance, 285. 

Garden-tablets,  an  almost  universal  feature  in 
garden  arrangement,  275,  2 7'  ; their  fre- 
quent grotesque  forms,  275,  291,  293,  294. 

Gateway,  the,  its  usual  picturesque  display, 
63,  255  ; its  variety  of  form  and  construc- 
tion, 9,  255-265  ; its  apparent  solidity  of 
form,  64,  238,  257;  the  ponderous  forms 
frequently  found  in  the  Yashiki  buildings, 
257  ; manner  of  decoration,  257 ; ordinary 
forms  in  the  better  class  of  city  house,  257, 


INDEX. 


363 


258 ; its  occasional  supplementary  sliding 
or  swinging  door,  258 ; its  forms  of  gate- 
bell,  or  rattle,  258  ; methods  of  locking  the 
sliding  door  in  gate,  259  ; its  occasional 
simplicity,  259 ; elaborate  city  form,  260 ; 
a suburban  form  of  special  beauty,  260- 
263 ; occasional  evidences  of  quaintness  and 
grotesqueness  in  its  construction,  263  ; a 
typical  suburban  form  near  Tokio,  263, 
264 ; rustic  forms  observed  in  the  Impe- 
rial Garden  at  Tokio,  264 ; simple  village 
method  of  closing  gate,  264 ; variety  of 
garden  forms,  265 ; instance  of  its  special 
quaintness,  265. 

Geerts,  Dr.,  mentioned,  296  note. 

Genka,  8. 

Go-downs,  9,  75.  See  Kuka. 

Griffis,  Eev.  W.  E.,  quoted,  321. 

Guest-room,  the,  its  two  recesses,  — the  toko- 
noma  and  chigai-dana,  — and  their  different 
varieties  and  arrangement,  133-149  ; a com- 
mon type,  and  consideration  of  its  peculiar 
feature,  133-136;  attempts  at  natural  effects 
in,  133,  137,  144,  146  ; ornamental-headed 
nails  as  employed  in  the  arrangement  of  its 
cross-ties,  134 ; its  studied  lack  of  bi-lateral 
symmetry,  135  ; its  seats  of  honor  on  cere- 
monial occasions,  137  ; corner  arrangement 
■of  its  recesses,  139 ; its  varieties  of  shoji, 
140 ; its  decorative  features  and  their  ef- 
fect, 141 ; the  writing-place  as  found  in 
the  better  class  of  house,  142 ; severe  sim- 
plicity in  its  arrangement,  145  ; as  repre- 
sented on  the  second  story,  145-147 ; as 
observed  in  a country  house  of  the  poorer 
kind,  147- 

Gutters,  their  usual  form,  and  how  they  are 
constructed,  83. 

JJALL,  the,  its  absence  of  ornamentation, 
236  ; the  tsui-tate,  or  hall  screen,  aud  its 
use,  236;  the  brilliant  polish  of  its  floor,  237 ; 


a common  form  with  diagram,  237,  239  ; the 
shoe-closet,  and  its  contents,  239  ; the  lan- 
tern-shelf and  its  use,  239,  240. 

Hibachi,  the,  an  inseparable  accompaniment  of 
a Japanese  house,  214 ; its  various  forms, 
214-216 ; its  common  forms,  214 ; its 
handle  and  conveniences  for  moving,  215 ; 
its  beauty  of  make  and  ornamentation, 
215,  216  ; its  frequent  use  as  portable  fire- 
place and  stove,  216  ; their  arrangement  and 
use  for  company,  216,  217  ; the  tabako-bon , 
or  smaller  form,  and  its  use,  217 ; its  fuel 
aud  manner  of  use,  218. 

Hideyoshi,  Japanese  invader  of  Korea,  336. 
Hikite,  their  use,  129  ; their  different  varieties, 
129,  130,  146  ; instance  of  elaborate  work- 
manship in  their  ornamentation,  129 ; the 
more  common  forms,  129  ; the  more  ancient 
forms,  130 ; their  use  and  arrangement  in 
the  shoji,  or  outer  screens,  131. 

Hiroshima,  a city  of  Japan,  2. 

Hon-gawara,  88. 

House,  the  Aiuo,  333-339 ; its  framework 
and  roof,  338 ; its  interior,  338,  339. 

, theHachijo,  its  usual  form,  339,  340. 

, the  Loochooan,  its  similarity  to  the 

Japanese  form,  341,  342. 

, the  Korean,  its  usual  form,  343 ; its 

foundation  and  method  of  heating,  343, 
344 ; the  more  elaborate  form  and  its  pecu- 
liar arrangement  for  summer  and  winter 
comfort,  344 ; its  interior  arrangement,  345 ; 
its  dissimilarity  to  the  Japanese,  345. 

-,  the  Chinese,  its  dissimilarity  to  the  Jap- 
anese, 345 ; its  usual  forms,  346. 

House,  the  Japanese,  general  description  of, 
6-14 ; its  disappointing  character,  consid- 
ered from  the  American  or  English  stand- 
point, 6,  7,  10  ; contrasted  with  our  own,  7 ; 
few  permanent  partitions  and  walls  in,  7 ; 
general  appearance  of  its  exterior,  7,  8 ; its 
places  of  entrance,  8 ; its  interior  arrange- 


364 


INDEX. 


ment,  8-10 ; its  surroundings,  9 ; its  usual 
absence  of  display  on  the  street  side,  9,  55, 
66,  255  ; its  apparently  anomalous  character, 
10 ; its  appropriateness  from  the  Japanese 
standpoint,  10,  11,  12,  46  ; Hein  cited  in 
reference  to,  11,  12 ; its  alleged  want  of 
privacy  and  sanitary  condition,  11,  12;  its 
inflammable  nature  and  proposed  remedies 
therefor,  13 ; objections  to  change  in  its 
architecture,  13,  14 ; its  construction,  14- 
35 ; primitive  nature  of  its  foundation  and 
framework.  14-24 ; its  absence  of  cellar 
and  elevation  of  floor,  15,  16,  56 ; its  side- 
framing, 14-18  ; apparent  insecurity  of  its 
underpinning,  16;  its  uprights  and  their 
prominence  as  a constructive  feature,  17 ; 
the  verandah,  an  almost  universal  feature 
of  its  construction,  17,  241 ; different  va- 
rieties of  its  roof-framing,  18-20;  absence 
of  the  arch,  20,  21 ; framework  diagram,  — 
description,  21  note ; bracing  and  its  ap- 
parent function,  23,  24 ; frequent  combi- 
nation of  the  grotesque  and  odd  in  its 
choice  of  material,  23,  69  ; its  interior  fin- 
ish, 24,  25  ; absence  of  waste  in  its  con- 
struction, 26 ; its  ceiling,  27-31 ; its  in- 
door partitions  and  their  different  varieties, 
31,  32 ; its  exterior  walls  and  their  usual 
varieties  and  finish,  32,  33;  its  various 
types,  45-107  ; principal  difference  between 
its  old  and  modern  forms,  48  ; the  apparent 
sameness  of  its  architecture,  49 ; its  usual 
diminutive  character  in  cities  as  compared 
with  that  in  country,  49-72 ; the  dwellings 
of  the  laboring  class  in  city  and  country, 
49,  50  ; street  scenes  in  Tokio  showing  city 
varieties,  50-52;  its  occasional  prison-like 
aspect  in  the  city,  50 ; its  usual  outside 
method  of  finish,  51 ; modern  city  tenement, 
52,  53  ; contiguity  of  city  merchant’s  shop 
and  dwelling,  53,  54,  158;  city  dwellings  of 
the  better  class,  front  and  rear  description, 


54-56  ; some  picturesque  types  as  instanced 
by  the  north  country  inns,  57-60 ; simple 
village  forms  and  their  occasional  beauty  of 
appearance,  61,  72 ; old  country  dwellings 
and  farm-houses  of  the  better  class,  60-63  ; 
the  rustic  and  antique  as  frequently  seen  iu 
the  cities,  64-70;  a few  varieties  in  the 
coast  villages,  72,  73  ; fishermen’s  huts, 
74,.  75  ; the  yashiki  forms  described,  77 
its  variety  of  elaborate  roof  forms,  77-107  ; 
the  vague  and  indefinite  character  of  its 
entrances,  81,  235  ; Japanese  and  Korean 
terms  as  applied  to  its  different  parts,  106, 
107 ; the  absence  of  out-houses  or  cellars, 
112,  114  ; its  cost  of  construction,  114  ; its 
comfort  as  affected  by  the  different  seasons, 
118,  119 ; its  provisions  for  ventilation, 
128, 170,  248 ; the  hibachi,  and  its  invari- 
able presence  and  use  as  an  article  of  fur- 
niture, 214,  219  ; the  privy  and  its  general 
description,  228-233 ; comparison  of  some 
of  its  principal  features  with  similar  ones  in 
our  own  architecture,  234;  various  forms, 
of  verandah  and  balconies  writh  description, 
241-247 ; the  amaclo,  or  storm -doors  and 
their  use,  247-251  ; its  single  noisy  feature, 
248  ; the  to-bukuro,  or  storm-door  closet, 
and  its  use,  251,  252 ; the  chodzu-bachi  and 
its  general  use,  253-255  ; its  gates  and  their 
various  forms  and  methods  of  construction, 
255-265  ; its  various  forms  of  fence,  266- 
272;  frequent  indoor  presen'  . of  wells, 
299  ; precautions  in  case  of  fire,  317,  318  ; 
occasional  modern  combinations  of  domestic 
and  foi'eign  styles  of  architecture,  320  ; the 
ancient  form  and  its  development,  323-335 ; 
its  originality  of  architecture,  334,  335,  346 ; 
contrasted  and  compared  with  the  neigh- 
boring house-forms,  336-346 ; its  structural 
features  as  frequently  observed  in  the  neigh- 
boring islands,  342,  343;  its  incorporation 
of  foreign  architectural  features,  346 ; its 


INDEX. 


365 


inappropriatencss  as  a model  for  our  own 
use,  347* 

Humbert,  Aime,  cited,  on  Japanese  architec- 
ture, 45. 

JNNS,  their  picturesque  appearance  as  ob- 
served in  the  north  of  Japan,  57-60;  their 
usual  one-storied  character,  60 ; their  com- 
fortable and  cosey  appearance,  70-72  ; their 
closets  and  stairways  frequently  combined, 

197,  198. 

Interior  of  Japanese  house,  general  rectan- 
gular shape  of  its  rooms,  8,  108,  149  ; fre- 
quent combination  in  kitchen  of  stairway 
and  closet,  8,  197,  198 ; its  adaptability  to 
the  seasons,  12, 118,  119  ; the  house-framing 
as  a decorative  feature,  17,  18,  24,  108, 
115,  118  ; careful  selection  of  stock  for  its 
finish,  24,  25 ; usual  construction  of  the 
ceiling,  27-31 ; its  variety  of  partitions, 
movable  and  permanent,  31,  32;  general 
description  with  plans,  108-121 ; its  gen- 
eral simplicity,  108,  309 ; the  small  size 
and  low  stud  of  its  rooms,  108 ; the  toko- 
noma  and  its  general  description,  8,  109, 
110;  general  description  of  the  movable 
partitions,  or  fusuma , and  their  use,  110, 
126-130;  noticeable  absence  of  paint 
and  varnish.  111,  310;  the  love  for  the 
natural  as  often  shown  in  its  finish,  111, 
133,  134,  137,  144,  146,  158,  308,  309; 
ground-plans  of  dwelling-houses  in  Tokio, 
with  descriptions,  111-118;  the  absence  of 
bedsteads  and  many  articles  of  furniture, 
112 ; closets  and  stowage-room,  112,  114, 
239;  its  comfort  and  inexpensiveness,  114, 
115  ; its  taste  and  refinement,  115,  118, 
316,  347 ; compared  with  American  inte- 
riors and  furnishings,  117,  309-311,  314, 
315,  347 ; size  of  its  rooms  and  their  facili- 
ties for  combining  into  a continuous  | 


apartment,  118;  method  of  heating  in  the 
winter,  119,  213 ; plan  and  description  of 
a Daimio’s  house  showing  its  peculiar 
floor  modifications,  119-121 ; usual  arrange- 
ment of  the  mats,  122,  123 ; studied  lack 
of  bi-lateral  symmetry  in  its  details  com- 
pared with  American  methods,  135,  136 ; 
guest-rooms  and  their  different  varieties, 
133-149  ; tea-rooms  with  their  uses  and 
variations,  153-158 ; description  of  ceil- 
ings, 165-167 ; the  waste  of  garret  room 
and  its  abandonment  to  the  rats,  167 ; its 
walls  and  their  treatment,  167 ; the  ramma 
as  a field  for  decorative  effect,  168-174;. 
windows  and  their  purely  decorative  char- 
acter, 174;  variations  in  form  and  place  of 
its  windows,  174-177  ; its  great  variety  of 
portable  screens,  177-184;  the  kitchen 
and  its  arrangements,  185-193 ; the  earth- 
walk  sometimes  dividing  kitchen  floor,  and 
its  extension  through  the  house,  186, 
187 ; its  different  varieties  of  closets,  196, 
197 ; the  primitive  nature  and  rare  use  of 
stairways,  197 ; the  ever-present  bath-tub 
and  its  many  varieties,  203-205 ; the  fre- 
quent absence  or  primitive  character  of  the 
lavatory,  205-208 ; varieties  of  towel-racks 
and  their  frequent  decorative  effect,  209, 
210 ; its  household  shrines  as  facilities  for 
home  worship,  224-227 ; birds’  nests  and 
their  frequent  in-door  occurrence,  227 ; its. 
delightful  quiet  as  contrasted  with  our  own 
homes,  248  ; the  frequent  use  of  flowers  in 
its  adornment,  302-308 ; various  forms  of 
flower-holders,  304-308 ; its  bare  appear- 
ance at  first  sight,  309 ; the  absence  of  the 
mirror  in  its  adornment,  310  note;  the 
subdued  and  restful  tone  of  its  decorations, 
311,  312;  the  proper  observance  of  har- 
mony and  contrast  shown  in  its  decoration, 
316;  bric-a-brac  and  its  display,  316,  317; 
occasional  appearance  of  lacquer  stands  and 


36G 


INDEX. 


cabinets,  316,  317 ; tbe  usual  form  of  writ- 
ing-desk, 317 ; occasional  later  introduction 
of  foreign  articles  of  furnishing,  319. 

Ishi-dbro,  or  stone  lanterns,  a prominent  fea- 
ture in  garden  arrangement,  277 ; their  va- 
riety of  form,  277,  278;  common  legend 
as  to  their  origin,  277- 

lyeyasu,  the  great  unifier  of  Japan,  322. 

JAPAN,  general  appearance  of  its  cities, 
1,  2 ; temples  a conspicuous  feature  in 
its  scenery,  1 ; atmospheric  clearness  and 
absence  of  smoke  in  its  cities,  2 ; compact 
arrangement  of  the  houses  in  its  cities  and 
towns,  2-4;  varied  appearance  of  its  vil- 
lages, 4 ; its  village  streets  and  their  differ- 
ent appearance  under  different  conditions, 
4,  5 ; houses  of  the  rich  and  poor  contigu- 
ous in  cities,  5,  6 ; an  appreciative  study 
of  its  architecture,  45-47- 

J£AMOI,  or  lintel,  108,  168. 

Kerosene  oil,  219. 

Kioto,  a beautiful  city  in  Japan,  2. 

Kitchen,  the,  its  many  varieties  in  city  and 
country,  8,  185 ; its  frequent  lack  of  com- 
fort and  convenience  in  the  cities,  185  ; its 
frequent  location  in  the  front  of  the  city 
house,  185 ; its  location  and  arrangement 
in  the  country  house,  186,  187  ; the  con- 
tinuous earthen  walk  sometimes  dividing 
its  floor  and  running  through  the  house, 
186,  187 ; its  well  and  water  supply,  187, 
299  ; special  description  of  an  old-fashioned 
country  type,  188,  189  ; the  usual  form  of 
range  or  cooking-stove,  188,  189  ; its  vari- 
ous utensils,  190,  192  ; the  common  forms 
of  braziers  used,  191 ; the  usual  method 
and  implements  of  kindling  fire,  191,  192 ; 
its  almost  universal  bamboo  rack  and  knife- 


case,  191 ; frequent  location  of  fireplace  in 
centre  of  room  and  its  various  appurtenances, 
191, 192  ; the  ji-zai  and  various  other  forms 
of  pot-hooks,  192,  193 ; conveniences  for 
warming  the  sake  or  wine,  192;  frequent 
combination  of  stairway  and  closet  in  its 
arrangement,  197- 

Korschelt,  Dr.,  mentioned,  296  note. 

Koyama,  S.,  mentioned,  75. 

Kumamoto,  a city  in  Japan,  45. 

Kura,  conspicuous  features  in  the  general 
view  of  a Japanese  city,  1 ; their  use,  9,  33, 
75;  roof -framing,  20;  construction,  33-35 ; 
structural  strength,  33,  34  ; windows  and 
shutters,  34,  35,  75  ; their  convenience  as 
a general  store-room,  33,  163,  164;  their 
frequent  outside  casing  and  its  object,  34, 
163,  164 ; their  fire-proof  character,  35,  76  ; 
frequent  use  as  domiciles,  33,  75,  76, 158  ; 
instances  of  stone  forms  and  method  of  roof- 
ing them,  90 ; their  adaptation  for  dwelling 
places,  159 ; as  dwellings  in  olden  times, 
160 ; instances  of  their  roofed  connection 
with  dwelling-house  proper,  161 ; the  pon- 
derous size  of  their  doors,  163 ; their 
grated  sliding  doors  for  ventilation,  164 ; 
the  keys  and  padlocks,  164. 

J^AMPS,  their  usual  form  and  primitive 
nature,  221 ; the  andon , or  common 
variety,  221,  222;  their  dimness  of  light, 
222  ; their  frequent  ingenuity  of  form,  222; 
wall  forms,  222;  occasional  pottery  forms 
and  their  rare  occurrence,  223  ; forms  for 
verandah  use,  224 ; street  lamps  and  their 
frail  structure,  224 ; ishi-dbro,  or  stone 
forms  for  garden  use,  and  their  varieties, 
277,  278. 

Lanterns,  verandah  forms,  224 ; fixed  street- 
forms  and  their  frail  structure,  224 ; hall 
shelf  for  holding  family  form  of,  when  not 


INDEX. 


367 


in  use,  239 ; common  form  showing  family 
crest  or  name,  240 ; ishi-doro,  or  stone 
forms,  and  their  use  in  gardens,  277 ; various 
forms  of  ishi-doro , and  common  legend  as 
to  their  origin,  277,  278. 

Lavatory,  its  frequent  absence  or  primitive 
form,  205,  206 ; occasional  form  as  ob- 
served in  a country  inn,  206 ; contrivance 
in  private  house  as  contrasted  with  our 
own  arrangements,  207  ; occasional  in- 
stances of  beauty  and  convenience  in  their 
arrangement,  208  ; their  various  forms  of 
towel-rack,  209,  210. 

Lowell,  Percival,  quoted,  117  ; cited  as  to  the 
Korean  house,  343-345. 


jyjATS,  their  importance  in  determining  the 
size  and  shape  of  rooms,  8,  114,  118, 
120;  their  universal  use,  8,  111,  114,  195  ; 
their  different,  sizes,  118,  122;  their  con- 
struction, 121,  122;  their  usual  arrange- 
ment, 122,  123  ; instances  of  ornamenta- 
tion of  the  border  stripes,  123 ; their  soft- 
ness and  the  consequent  disuse  of  shoes 
indoors,  123 ; their  frequent  need  of  cleans- 
ing, 124 ; their  use  as  seats,  and  the  dis- 
comfort arising  therefrom  to  one  unaccus- 
tomed to  them,  124 ; their  use  at  meal- 
time, 125 ; their  use  as  beds,  125,  210 ; 
cost  of  manufacture,  125  ; their  proposed 
use  or  disuse  as  affecting  the  finish  of 
floors,  193,  194. 

McClatchie,  Mr.,  cited,  323. 

Miliara,  Mr.  A.  S.,  his  explanation  of  Japan- 
ese terms  applied  to  privy,  232  note. 

Miyasaki,  Mr.,  mentioned,  119. 

Mosquito  nettings,  or  lcayu , their  universal 
presence  in  houses,  214;  their  manner  of 
use,  214. 

Munich,  its  sanitary  condition  and  death- 
rate,  11. 


^"AGASAKI,  a city  in  Japan,  2. 

Nagoya,  a city  in  Japan,  2,  45. 

Ninagawa,  Noritani,  a famous  Japanese  anti- 
quarian, 76. 


QSAKA, 


a city  in  Japan, 


2. 


JDALACES,  their  frequently  imposing  archi- 
tecture, 45,  321 ; Aime  Humbert  cited 
thereon,  45  ; their  early  primitive  form  and 
construction,  324,  325. 

Pall  Mall  Gazette,  quoted,  37  note ; 200  note. 

Partitions,  permanent  plaster  forms,  — then- 
variety  of  form  and  construction,  31,  32; 
temporary  or  movable  forms,  32,  110,  111, 
125-130 ; method  of  adjustment  of  the 
movable  forms,  or  ftisumci,  110,  125  ; per- 
manent forms  with  sliding  panels,  129  ; form 
between  tokonoma  and  chigai-dana  and  its 
ornamental  openings,  135,  144,  145 ; their 
various  forms  of  windows,  140,  142. 

Pictures,  essential  furnishings  of  the  tokonoma, 
109,  137,  143,  145,  148  ; ancient  method 
of  suspension  on  the  walls,  160,  161 : kike- 
mono  confined  to  the  tokonoma,  312,  their 
usual  forms  of  support,  313 ; the  hashira 
kakushi  and  their  use,  313 ; the  usual  sub- 
jects portrayed,  313,  314;  their  frequent 
change,  314 ; their  careful  preservation,  315. 

Pillow,  or  matcura,  its  usual  form,  211 ; its 
different  varieties,  211 ; its  use  and  appar- 
ent discomfort,  212. 

Portable  screens,  their  infinite  variety  and 
richness,  177 ; folding  varieties  and  their 
description,  177-181 ; instances  of  their 
richness  of  frame  and  ornamentation,  178, 
179 ; the  boxes  for  their  protection  when 
not  in  use,  179,  180 ; their  foot-weights, 
180 ; their  rich  display  on  festival  days, 
180 ; summer  varieties,  180 ; fire-screens 


3G8 


INDEX. 


and  their  use,  181 ; ink-screens,  181 ; the 
tsui-tate,  or  special  form  for  use  in  hall-way, 
181;  bamboo  curtains  or  sun-screens  and 
their  varieties,  182 ; rare  use  of  cloth  cur- 
tain-screens,  183;  fringed  door-curtains 
and  their  varieties,  183 ; kitchen  and  closet- 
screens,  183,  181 ; slashed  shop-door 

screens,  181. 

Privy,  its  usual  form  and  position,  9,  228  ; 
general  description,  228-230 ; its  two  com- 
partments and  their  frequent  elaborate  fin- 
ish, 229,  230 ; special  description  with 
drawings,  230,  231 ; its  important  function 
in  connection  with  the  agricultural  inter- 
ests, 231,  232;  its  different  names  in  Jap- 
anese and  their  meanings,  232  note;  its 
importance  as  a matter  of  sanitary  inter- 
est, 232,  233. 

Public  Baths,  as  a feature  of  the  social  life  in 
Japan,  199;  their  common  use  by  the  lower 
classes  of  both  sexes,  201 ; their  frequent 
use  by  the  laboring  class,  202 ; their  uni- 
versal presence  throughout  the  cities  and 
towns,  202. 

AILING,  its  rare  use  in  stairways,  197, 
198 ; its  usual  primitive  form  when 
present  in  stairways,  197 ; special  instance 
of  its  simplicity,  198  ; form  sometimes  ob- 
served on  verandah  steps,  198  ; its  usual 
absence  in  the  verandah,  242 ; its  common 
presence  in  the  balconies,  244 ; its  numer- 
ous varieties  in  the  balconies,  244-247  ; its 
frequent  artistic  character,  244  ; more  sub- 
stantial forms,  244,  246 ; favorite  perfo- 
rated panel  forms, — their  frequent  variety 
of  design,  244-246 ; delicate  and  artistic 
use  of  bamboo  in  its  construction,  246 ; its 
general  fragile  character,  246 ; as  found 
in  the  special  platforms  for  the  cliodzu- 
bachi,  254. 


Ramma,  as  a subject  for  artistic  skill,  168,  169  - 
its  position  and  division  into  panels,  169  ; 
its  variety  of  design  and  ornamentation, 
169-174;  its  perforated  and  fret-work 
varieties  and  their  delicacy  of  workmanship, 
169-171 ; bamboo  as  frequently  used  in  its- 
decorative  work,  170;  occasional  use  of  por- 
celain in  its  designs,  170;  its  value  as  a 
means  of  obtaining  ventilation,  170;  fre- 
quent combination  of  perforated  panels  and 
a grating  of  bamboo  in  its  construction, 
171 ; forms  observed  in  old  houses,  171 ;. 
employment  of  water-designs  in  its  con- 
struction, 171 ; everywhere  an  indication, 
of  the  skilled  workmanship  of  the  Japanese, 
172;  an  instance  of  peculiar  simplicity  ob- 
served in  poorer  class  of  houses,  172,  174. 

Range,  or  cooking-stove,  its  usual  form,  188, 
189  ; usual  method  of  kindling  fire,  191 ; 
some  of  its  utensils  described,  191,  192. 

Reade,  Charles,  cited  in  regard  to  unscientific- 
carpentry,  37  note. 

Rein,  Mr.,  cited  in  regard  to  the  Japanese 
house,  11,  12 ; as  to  the  cleanliness  of  the 
Japanese,  201  note. 

Reservoirs,  aqueduct  form  as  observed  at 
Miyajima,  and  its  picturesque  appearance, 
299,  300. 

Roofs,  their  framing  and  variety  of  architectu- 
ral structure,  17-21;  gable  forms  and  their 
method  of  support,  18,  19 ; their  framing 
and  solidity  of  structure  in  the  kura,  20 ; 
as  subjects  of  architectural  interest,  48, 
49,  77,  78 ; their  points  of  similarity  with 
Swiss  types,  57 ; different  varieties  of 
smoke-outlets,  58,  59,  61,  95,  100,  102 ; the 
comparative  incombustibility  of  the  thatch 
forms,  64 ; instances  on  the  coast  of  then- 
ponderous  proportions  and  consequent 
strange  appearance,  72  ; the  three  common 
varieties,  78 ; their  different  structural  forms, 
78  ; hisashi  and  their  function,  78,  79  ; con- 


INDEX. 


369 


struction  and  description  of  the  different 
varieties,  78-107 ; usual  form  of  gutter,  83  ; 
superstitious  use  of  water  design  in  their 
ornamentation,  85,  86,  95 ; use  of  stone  in 
their  construction,  90 ; comparison  of  the 
American  and  Japanese  types,  105,  231; 
consideration  of  Japanese  terms  as  applied 
thereto,  106,  107 ; their  ancient  forms  and 
early  differentiation,  321,  325,  328,  329. 

■^ATOW,  Ernest,  cited  on  the  ancient  Jap- 
anese house,  323,  321,  327  note , 328, 
331;  on  the  Hachijo  house,  339,  310. 

Screens,  folding,  178;  screen-box,  180;  screen- 
weight,  180;  other  forms,  181. 

Sendai,  a city  in  Japan,  2. 

Shingled  Roofs,  their  usual  method  of  con- 
struction, 79-82;  their  defects,  81,  83  ; then- 
different  varieties,  81,  82;  construction  of 
the  ridge,  82 ; their  inflammability,  83 ; 
their  usual  form  of  gutter,  83. 

Shoes,  objection  to  their  use  in  the  Japanese 
house,  123 ; foreigner’s  observance  of  the 
general  custom  of  their  disuse  indoors,  121 ; 
closet  in  hall  for  their  disposal,  239 ; then- 
many  varieties,  239. 

Skoji,  7 ; method  of  straightening,  131 ; taste- 
ful way  of  mending,  131  ; variety  of 
forms,  132. 

Shrines,  their  prevalence  in  the  household 
for  purposes  of  worship,  221,  226 ; the 
Shin-to  form  and  its  religious  observance, 
225,  226 ; the  Buddhist  form  and  its  or- 
nate character,  225,  226 ; their  occasional 
occurrence  in  shops,  226;  their  religious 
offerings,  225,  226. 

‘Smoke-outlets,  their  different  varieties,  58,  59, 
61,  100,  102  ; their  usual  position  in  roofs 
in  the  northern  provinces,  95  ; the  triangu- 
lar form  as  a characteristic  feature  of 
thatched  roofs  south  of  Tokio,  96. 


Sode-gaki,  its  different  varieties,  271,  272 ; 
its  ingenuity  of  design  and  construction, 
271 ; its  strictly  ornamental  character, 
271,  289. 

Staging,  on  house-roof,  318. 

Stairways,  their  primitive  nature  and  use, 
197,  231 ; the  usual  step-ladder  form  and 
its  precipitous  character,  197 ; their  occa- 
sional grace  and  beauty  of  construction, 
198 ; their  frequent  combination  in  inns 
and  farm-houses  with  closets,  197,  198 ; 
the  high  polish  of  their  surface  and  how 
acquired,  198,  199  ; verandah  and  hall 
steps,  199. 

Streets,  their  border  ditches  or  gutters,  52. 

Summer-house,  its  frequent  appearance  as  a 
prominent  feature  in  garden  arrangement, 
9,  279,  280  ; its  usual  open  character,  279  ; 
instance  of  special  beauty  described,  280, 
281 ; view  of  one  in  private  garden  at  Tokio, 
2S1,  — in  Imperial  Garden  in  Tokio,  282  ; 
variety  of  design  in  their  rustic  window 
openings,  282,  283. 

'J'ABAKO-BON,  the,  or  smaller  hibachi,  and 
its  use,  217  ; its  various  appurtenances, 
and  Japanese  refinement  in  their  use,  217, 
218  ; its  variety  and  frequent  oddity  of  de- 
sign, 217. 

Tea-ceremony,  special  construction  of  garden- 
houses  for  its  observance,  9, 15  ; tbe  manner 
of  its  observance,  149-151  ; the  principal 
utensils  required  in  its  observance,  150  ; its 
apparent  grotesqueness,  150,  151;  impor- 
tance attached  to  its  observance,  151;  its 
influence  upon  Japanese  art,  151,  152. 

Tea-rooms,  their  special  use,  149,  151  ; de- 
scription of  the  tea-ceremony,  149,  150; 
their  special  utensils  and  furnishings,  150  ; 
the  furo,  or  fire-pot.,  and  its  varieties,  150  ; 
their  variety  of  form,  with  descriptions, 


24 


370 


INDEX. 


153-158  ; their  ceilings  and  frequent  elabo- 
rate finish,  153,  154,  157;  the  tokonoma 
as  one  of  its  features,  154,  158  ; the  ro,  or 
permanent  fireplace  in  floor,  and  its  variety 
of  form,  154;  its  kitchen  as  occasionally 
used  tor  storing  the  various  utensils,  155, 
156  ; special  instance  of  unique  effect  pro- 
duced by  Chinese  art  in  its  decoration, 
156,  157. 

Tejima,  S.,  mentioned,  119. 

Temples,  as  a feature  of  Japanese  scenery,  1 ; 
instances  of  their  architectural  grandeu:, 
46.  47  ; their  early  architectural  develop- 
ment, 332. 

Thatched  Roofs,  their  various  forms  of  smoke- 
outlets,  58,  59,  61 ; flower-bearing  ridges 
and  their  brilliant  effect,  59,  93;  their  in- 
combustible nature,  64;  instances  of  tiled 
ridges  and  their  construction,  65,  94 ; pon- 
derous forms  observed  along  the  coast,  7 2 ; 
the  prevailing  form  in  country  districts, 
91 ; their  variety  of  design,  91 , different 
materials  used  in  their  construction,  91 ; 
outline  sketch  of  their  construction,  91 ; 
their  symmetry  and  trimness  when  com- 
pleted, 91,  92;  great  skill  required  in  fin- 
ishing the  ridge,  92 ; varieties  of  ridge 
forms  of,  93-105 ; simple  ridge  forms  in 
the  country  north  of  Tokio,  93 ; common 
ridge-pole  form  and  its  variation,  93,  94; 
bamboo  ridges  and  their  construction,  95 ; 
triangular  smoke-outlets  a characteristic 
feature  in  the  country  south  of  Tokio,  95 ; 
special  instances  of  beauty  described,  96, 
97 ; methods  of  trimming  thatch  at  edges, 
97 ; instances  of  external  ridge-pole,  or 
supplementary  roof-form,  derived  from 
temple  architecture,  97,  98  ; simple  coast 
forms  as  observed  in  Omi,  99  ; instances  of 
tile  and  bamboo  combination  in  the  ridge- 
structure,  99 ; picturesque  bark  and  bamboo 
crest,  as  occurring  in  Mikawa,  99  ; similar 


but  more  elaborate  form  as  found  in  the- 
suburbs  of  Kioto,  100,  101;  instances  o£ 
plain  and  bamboo  crest,  101 ; combined  hip 
and  gable  form  with  bark  crest  as  observed 
in  province  of  Kii,  102 ; two  common 
forms  found  in  Yamato,  102,  103 ; peculiar 
bark  and  ridge-pole  crest  with  bamboo- 
yokes  observed  in  Totomi,  103,  104;  their 
sometimes  ponderous  proportions  in  com- 
parison with  size  of  house,  104 ; their  ad- 
vantage over  American  roofs,  105 ; their 
advantages  in  the  matter  of  comfort,  beauty,, 
and  durability,  105,  106  ; use  of  paving  be- 
neath the  eaves  in  place  of  gutter  or  water- 
conductor,  106 ; indications  of  their  early' 
development,  325  ; as  shown  in  the  Aina 
house,  338. 

Tiled  Roofs,  their  usual  method  of  construc- 
tion, 84 ; easily  removable  in  case  of  fire, 
84  ; ridge  construction  and  ornamentation, 
85,  86 ; frequent  instances  of  ornamented 
coping,  86;  methods  of  ornamentation  at 
the  eaves,  87 ; white-mortar  pointing  of  the 
joints  and  its  common  occurrence,  87  j 
their  improvement  with  age,  87,  88;  their 
cost,  88 ; various  forms  of  tile  used,  89, 
90 ; the  ancient  form  of  tile,  89 ; the 
Trench  tile  as  sometimes  used,  79 ; glazed 
tiles  and  their  probable  antiquity  as  a com- 
mon variety,  90;  indications  of  their  early 
development,  325,  327. 

Tiles,  on  side  of  house,  33. 

To-bulcuro,  the,  its  use,  251 ; its  usual  va- 
rieties, 251,  252;  occasional  swinging  form 
and  its  arrangement,  252. 

Tokio,  a bird’s-eye  view  of,  1;  its  building 
restrictions  for  preventing  spread  of  fire, 
13,  14. 

Tokonoma , its  general  description,  8,  109,. 
110;  its  conventional  appointments,  109, 
137,  143,  145,  148,  303,  317  ; its  usual  po- 
sition, 110,  137 ; consideration  of  its  many 


INDEX. 


371 


variations,  133-149 ; meaning  of  the  term 
and  its  ancient  use,  133;  natural  woods 
used  in  its  construction,  133,  134,  144, 
146 ; its  ceiling,  133 ; its  floor,  134 ; its 
peculiar  kind  of  mat,  134;  its  communica- 
tion with  the  chigai-dana , 135 ; the  place 
of  honor  on  ceremonial  occasions,  137 ; its 
variations  of  size,  139,  143,  145,  148 ; as 
modified  in  a country  house  of  the  poorer 
class,  147 ; a distinctive  feature  of  the  cere- 
monial or  guest  rooms,  149 ; as  a field  for 
decorative  skill,  168  ; its  origin  and  deriva- 
tion, 329,  330. 

Towel-racks,  their  simplicity  aud  variety  of 
form,  209,  210. 

Trees,  their  frequent  grotesque  trimming  in 
Japanese  gardens,  282,  288  ; dwarfed  forms 
and  their  frequent  use  about  gardens  and 
verandahs,  286;  curiously  dwarfed  forms 
of  the  plum  aud  pine  varieties,  286-288  ; 
their  protection  during  the  winter,  288 ; 
their  remarkable  vitality  and  great  endur- 
ance, 295. 

Tsui-tate,  the  hall  screen  and  its  use,  236 ; 
its  usual  form,  237. 

~yTERANDAH,  regarded  as  an  important 
part  of  the  Japanese  house,  8,  241 ; 
its  general  use  and  usual  form  of  con- 
struction, 17 ; its  general  lack  of  an  out- 
side rail,  242 ; arrangement  of  its  floor, 
243 ; its  various  dimensions  and  methods 
of  construction,  243  ; its  height  from  the 
ground  in  different  instances,  and  the  con- 
sequent varieties  of  step  used  to  reach  it, 
243 ; Japanese  terms  and  their  meanings, 
247  note ; the  chodzu-bachi  in  connection 
with,  and  its  convenience  for  washing  the 
hands,  252-255  ; the  common  presence  of 
plants  in  its  vicinity,  286. 

Verge-boards,  72. 


Vestibule,  the,  considered  as  a part  of  the 
house-entrance,  234 ; its  arrangements  un- 
like that  of  the  American  house,  234;  its- 
walls  and  floor  as  usually  observed,  236, 
237 ; plan  showing  its  arrangements,  237. 

'yyj ALKER,  General  Francis  A.,  cited,  36 

note. 

Walls,  their  general  characteristics,  7 ; their 
methods  of  treatment  in  plaster  and  the 
effects  obtained,  167 ; their  papering  and 
its  modifications,  167,  168  ; their  adorn- 
ments, 302. 

? Water-supply,  primitive  character  of  its  sex- 
vice,  296-302 ; how  the  city  of  Tokio  is 
served,  296 ; exceeding  impurity  of  much  of 
the  drinking-water  in  Japan,  296  ; great 
necessity  of  improving  and  extending  the 
facilities  in  regard  to,  297  ; dangers  arising 
from,  as  to  fires  in  cities,  297 ; various 
forms  of  wells  for,  298,  299;  its  method 
of  conveyance  and  occasional  form  of 
reservoir,  299,  300. 

Wells,  rustic  forms  frequently  found  in  gar- 
dens, 289 ; the  principal  means  of  obtaining 
water-supply,  296;  the  frequent  impurity 
of  their  water-supply,  296,  302  ; different 
authorities  cited  in  regard  to  purity  of 
watei-,  296  note ; their  usual  form  and 
construction,  298  ; their  variety  of  curbing, 
298 ; Chinese  character  foi-,  as  used  to  in- 
dicate their  location,  298 ; their  appliances 
for  drawing  water,  298,  299 ; their  frequent 
presence  within  the  kitchen,  299 ; old 
forms,  300,  301 ; their  fi’equent  rustic  effect, 
301,  302. 

Well-sweep,  73,  299. 

Whittier,  quoted,  12,  152. 

Windows,  their  purely  decorative  character, 
59,  174;  their  great  variety  of  form  and 
place,  174,  177 ; special  instances  of  their 
graceful  character,  175 ; as  found  in  the 


372 


INDEX. 


second  story,  176 ; forms  of,  observed  in 
the  writing-recess,  177 ; their  ornamented 
form  and  appearance  in  the  Japanese 
summer-house,  280,  281. 

Writing-place,  its  frequent  presence  in  the 
guest-room,  142 ; its  furnishings,  142,  317 ; 
its  elaborate  form  of  window,  176 ; its  usual 
form  of  desk,  317. 


^ AMAKAWA,  Professor,  cited,  13. 

Yashiki,  their  buildings  and  general  ap- 
pearance, 77 ; their  present  use,  77 ; the 
usual  form  of  gateway  observed  and  its  ap- 
parent solidity,  256,  257 ; their  surrounding 
walls,  272. 

Yedo-gawaru,  89. 

Yenshiu,  Kobori,  mentioned,  153. 


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